


Electric Love

by Smoaknrose



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Flash Forward, Flashbacks, Olicity Daughter, Post Season 6, Pregnancy, legacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:40:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 63,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21554008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smoaknrose/pseuds/Smoaknrose
Summary: She was born for greatness. She's the product of a love bigger than the universe and she is destined to become the greatest hero in all of history. They say every hero has an origin story and she  definitely is no exception.
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 38
Kudos: 126





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had the idea for this fic for over a year (since before any of us knew about Mia). I'm just now getting the courage to write it down and put it out there. This is my first fanfic ever and it was just one of those things I couldn't get out of my head no matter how hard I tried. I want to give a special thanks to jesileigh for helping me out with this one.

_No, no, no, this can’t be happening_ , Felicity thinks as she stares down at the two little blue lines that will forever change her life. _Not now. It can’t be now. We haven’t had enough time…_ Oliver had only been out of prison for two months after being given a presidential pardon under the stipulation that he would never kill again. If she had to guess, she would bet money on the fact they conceived the night he came home. They had missed each other so much they set a lot of new records that night. She didn’t even have time then to be mad at him for turning himself in. _Man, that was a good night…_ The sound of excited clapping startles her from her thoughts.

“I’m going to be an Aunt again!” Thea exclaims. She came back from her quest to help Felicity as soon as she heard Oliver was in prison. “This is going to be amazing!” Her face falls as soon as she sees the expression on Felicity’s face. “Are you okay?”

Felicity is too numb to even nod. She is sitting on her desk chair by the computers in the new bunker staring at the pregnancy test in disbelief. The word shocked doesn’t even begin to describe the look on her face.

Thea lowers herself to Felicity’s level and lightly grabs both of her arms as if to physically pull her out of her trance. “It’s going to be okay Felicity. If it’s my brother’s reaction you’re worried about, don’t be. He’s going to be thrilled.” Felicity manages a nod. “And if you’re worried about the type of mother you’ll be, don’t worry. You’re already an amazing mother to William.”

“But he’s older,” Felicity argues “he’s practically an adult by now. I don’t think that counts.”

“Of course, it does!”

Felicity hesitates, “I just don’t know…”

Thea begins to comfort her, “Look Felicity, I know there’s probably a lot going through your head right now, but I know it’s all going to be okay. You and Oliver have been through so much. You’ve defied the odds every time. You’ve truly been there for each other through the worst and best of times. You’ve stuck with each other through every unexpected thing life has thrown your way. Through all of this, your love for each other only strengthens, so I know that this new unexpected turn of events will turn out to be incredible for you two. And hey, this baby may turn out to be the biggest blessing you’ve ever received."

Felicity sighs, “I know you’re probably right but I’m just so scared.” Tears fill her eyes and she can’t stop them from coming. “Oh frack what do I do?”

“I think you should tell Oliver right now,” Thea advises. “He’s your rock and if anyone can keep you grounded right now, it’s him. I think you guys need to figure this out together.” Felicity manages a nod. “Okay I’ll call him right now,” Thea says as she dials the phone. “Oliver It’s Thea. You need to get to the bunker as soon as you can something’s happened… I can’t tell you. It’s not my information to tell but it is important… okay see you soon.” Thea turns to Felicity, “he’s on his way.”

The minutes inch by and after an eternity, Oliver makes his entrance into the bunker. Felicity and Thea both stand up in anticipation.

“What is it? What’s going on?” Oliver asks seriously.

“I um… I've got to go somewhere and um… do something” Thea says as she darts out of the room.

“What is it Felicity? What’s going on?” Oliver asks as he starts to panic. When he sees the look on her face, he immediately softens. He takes both of her hands in his and looks her in the eyes. “I don’t know what’s going on right now but whatever it is, I know we will get through it together just like always.” His words give felicity just enough courage to drop the pregnancy test in his hands. Oliver reflexively glances down and looks slightly stunned.

“It’s early yet and I just took the test a few minutes ago. Thea is actually the one who figured it out. She brought it over and told me to take it. She said the symptoms I've been having could only mean one thing,” Felicity half smiles at the memory as she begins to babble. “I know it’s a shock. Believe me, I’m shocked. And the timing is not ideal. What with you getting out of prison and starting your new job and then Smoak Tech is just taking off. Between you and me, I thought we’d have a lot more time than this. I don’t even know how all of this is going to work or even how I feel right now…” The more she babbles, the more fear creeps up in her voice. “Honestly, I’m pretty scared. I mean we have barely had any time with the three of us and now…”

Then Oliver does something so unexpected, it stops felicity dead in her tracks. Oliver drops to his knees and puts his hands on either side of her hips. He pulls her close and kisses her belly right were the baby is. With a soft voice he says, “hi there baby. I just want you to know that your mom and I are going to love you so much. We’re going to do our best to give you the best life possible. I can’t wait to meet you, but you should just take your time and grow in there.” He stands back up with a beaming smile and Felicity realizes he has tears in his eyes.

“You’re happy about this” she states. She doesn’t even know how to react.

“So happy” he beams “Yeah, the timing isn’t ideal and you’re right, we haven’t had a lot of time but Felicity, this is our baby. It’s half of me and half of you and no matter how scared you are, it’s a miracle.” For the first time since finding out, Felicity actually smiles a little.

“You want to know something?” Oliver asks.

“What?”

“When I was in prison this was actually something I dreamed about. You and me expanding our family, living a normal life, and just being happy. I honestly never knew if this would happen for us or if I would ever get out of there but I couldn’t stop myself from dreaming it any way. It kept me going even when it felt like all hope was lost.”

“And you really think everything will be okay?” she asks unable to hide the fear in her voice.

"Look at everything you and I have been through together, all the odds we have beat, and we still love each other more than anything. We will get through this I promise. You’re going to be an amazing mother.”

“I don’t know about that…”

“You will be,” he insists “I’m surer of that than of anything else.”

Felicity finally relaxes and grins, “you know, Thea was right.”

“About what?”

“Well, I was starting to panic a little and she said if anyone could help me, it would be you. You’re my rock Oliver, and I love you so much. If I know anything, it’s that this baby is going to have the best daddy in the world.” He pulls her in tight and kisses her deeply. He didn’t even know it was possible to have this much love in his heart after all he has been through over the past 12 years. The next chapter of his life has officially begun and he can already tell it may just be the best one yet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity takes a trip to Central City. This trip leads to a very unexpected surprise.

A trip to Central City couldn’t have come at a worse time. Felicity swears morning sickness will be the death of her and she’s not sure how she’s going to hide it from her friends. She went to the doctor yesterday and found out she is roughly ten weeks along. Her twelve-week ultrasound is scheduled for October 1st, exactly two weeks from today. She is actually slightly excited for it. She’s hoping it will make the pregnancy seem real to her. Right now, it’s hard to believe she is anything other than sick. Much to Oliver’s dismay, she is making this trip solo. Ever since Oliver decided to join the police force, he has been training nonstop. His hope is to one day take over Lance’s position as head of the police force. Felicity has no doubt in her mind that he will achieve it someday. As the car speeds through the streets of Central City, Felicity can’t help but think about her and Oliver’s conversation this morning.

“You don’t have to go you know” Oliver complained when she had told him about the trip. “They can figure out how to defeat this technopathic meta on their own.”

“No, they can’t Oliver. No one there is equipped to handle this powerful of meta with his abilities. Besides, I’m pregnant not disabled.”

He rolled his eyes a little “I know that, but based on how sick you’ve been lately, I figured you should take it easy.”

“Thank you for caring,” her voice softened “but we will be okay.”

“I sure hope you’re right” Oliver mumbled and she kissed him just to wipe away the pout from his face.

Felicity smiles at the memory as she opens the door to STAR labs and makes her way to meet Team Flash.

“Hey guys,” she says a she enters the room.

“Felicity!” Iris, Caitlin, and Cisco all simultaneously exclaim. They are all huddled around the computer, no doubt trying to solve the dilemma that this new meta is bringing.

Barry must have heard from another room because all of a sudden, he flashes into the room. “Felicity! Thank you so much for coming. This one has us stumped and we knew you are the one person right for the job. How are things in Star City?”

“They’re good. We just got some unexpected news that we’re trying to process…” then she changes the subject before she gives it away “How are you guys… Oh my gosh look at you!” Felicity exclaims as a five-month pregnant Iris walks toward her. Her baby bump isn’t huge yet, but it is undeniable. A wave of nausea hits Felicity as she realizes that will be her before she knows it.

“I swear I’m getting bigger by the second,” Iris complains slightly. “It’s a little strange being around your actual daughter at the same time you’re pregnant with her.”

“Yeah how are things going with Nora?” Felicity asks.

“They’re going well. She’s amazing” Barry gleams.

“Hey guys, not to be a downer here…” Cisco interrupts “but shouldn’t we maybe focus on the meta that’s trying to use all the city’s technology as a weapon?”

“Oh yes, right” Felicity says “What are we up against?”

“His name is Surge and he can bend technology to his will. He is planning to warp all of the technology to attack and harm all the people in town.”

“Any idea how to stop him?” Barry asks Felicity “We’re running out of options.”

“Give me a couple of hours and I think I can create a sort of physical virus that you can blast him with just long enough to capture him.”

“You got it,” Caitlin says as they leave her to her work.

It’s amazing to Felicity how fast time goes when she is concentrating on a new project. Before she knows it, three hours have passed. Cisco is the only other person with her in the computer room. The only one who is remotely able to keep up with her and help her with the task at hand.

“There I think I’ve got it,” she says with accomplishment as she uploads the virus into a tranquilizer dart. “Now all Barry has to do is be fast enough to find him and shoot him with this.”

“Oh, you know I’ll be fast enough,” Barry says with a sly grin as he flashes into the room. Before Felicity has time to react, all the computers go dark. A slender man with shaggy black hair and bags under his eyes pops up on the screen directly in front of her. He is undoubtedly Surge.

“Did you really think this little stunt of yours would work?” he questions. His creepy voice sends shivers down Felicity’s back. A wave of nausea rocks her body. _Not now_ , she thinks.

“Yeah actually,” she snaps “I know it will.” Barry bolts out of sight using Felicity’s special tracker to find Surge.

“We’ll see about that,” Surge threatens. With that, the computer goes dark and sparks fly out of every electronic device in the room. Cisco reflexively grabs Felicity just in time and pulls her out of the spark zone. Once she catches her breath, she turns to look at Cisco just soon enough to notice his unfocused eyes staring off into the distance. When she shifts her weight to get a better look at him, his eyes come back into focus and he looks right at her. His expression is one that Felicity has never seen before. It’s a mix of shock, confusion, and wonder.

“Felicity are you…” he says still half in a daze “are you…”

“Am I what?”

“Never mind,” Cisco hesitates “maybe I shouldn’t say anything. Maybe it’s not true…”

“No Cisco, you can’t just start to ask me something and then stop. What is it?” she persists.

Cisco gives in. He knows it’s best not to argue with her. He sighs and asks, “Are you… pregnant Felicity?”

It feels like the wind has been knocked out of her. “How did you know that?” she asks shocked “Wait, you just vibed something didn’t you? What did you see?”

“I don’t think I should say too much… It might mess things up.”

“You saw my baby, didn’t you?” she asks with a calculating expression. She takes a threatening step toward him “Cisco Ramon you tell me right now. You can’t keep something from a mother about her child. Please…” her face softens.

He raises his hands in surrender, “Fine… She’s amazing Felicity” he beams and his face immediately lights up.

Her hands automatically go to her belly and she stares down in awe. “She…” is the only word she manages to say at first. “My baby is a she” Felicity says with wonder in her voice and tears in her eyes.

“Oh…” Cisco hesitates “you probably didn’t know that yet. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” she says with a growing smile while still looking down. “What is she like?”

Cisco’s eyes almost sparkle as he begins, “She really is amazing Felicity. She’s smart, like really smart, like genius smart. She’s adorable, and sweet, and determined, and she cares a lot about her family.”

“Show me,” she nearly demands as she looks up.

“I don’t know if I should…”

She pleads, “please Cisco I have to know. I’m her mother. I need to see her.”

Again, Cisco sighs but ultimately gives in. He places his arms on either of her shoulders and her vision immediately fades. She is transported to a new time and place.


	3. Chapter 3

As the scene comes into focus, Felicity is vaguely aware they are in a house. One that is designed very similar to the house her and Oliver once shared in Ivy Town. Her main focus however, is not on her surroundings but on a small child who is crouched in front of a computer. She has thick curly blonde hair long enough to touch her elbows. Her eyebrows are crunched together in complete concentration, a signature look of Felicity herself. If she had to guess, she would say the child is about six years old. Immediately Felicity feels a strong pull to this little girl. A pull and a warmth no child has ever made her feel.

“She’s mine, isn’t she?” Felicity asks but already knows the answer the second she set eyes on her.

Cisco nods, not taking his eyes off the girl for a second, “most definitely… now watch.”

All of a sudden, the girl jumps up and exclaims “I did it! Take that computer!”

Felicity can’t help but smile even wider. Hearing the commotion, someone else walks into the room. She recognizes that person instantaneously; it’s her. Well, a slightly older version of herself with longer hair. She is barefoot and wearing the same pair of pajamas she wore the night her and Oliver got back together. It’s nice to know she’s still the same size even after having a kid. Future Felicity quickly walks to her daughter with a huge gleaming smile and crouches down in front of her.

“Did you do it?” she asks.

“Yeah I did!” the girl announces with pride “I broke down the firewall. And you said I couldn’t do it” she accuses playfully.

Future Felicity fake gasps, “I never said that! I said I bet you can’t beat my record.”

“And I did, didn’t I?” she asks with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face. An expression that makes her look identical to Oliver.

“You sure did and I’m so proud of you for it my little smarty pants,” Future Felicity scoops her daughter up and spins her around. The little girl lets out a peel of laughter unlike anything Felicity has ever heard. It's so infectious and intoxicating she would do anything just to hear it one more time. At the same time, all of them hear footsteps coming from a staircase that must be around the corner. Future Felicity stops spinning, they look at each other, and she excitedly gasps.

“Who do you think that is?” Future Felicity questions.

“Oh, I know!” the girl exclaims as she squirms out of her mother’s arms and begins running.

As her daughter runs toward the unknown owner of the footsteps, Felicity realizes it is the first time she has seen her head on and she nearly gasps. She’s utterly beautiful. The sun hits her ringlets in just the right way that she actually glows and her bright blue eyes sparkle. That warm current spreads throughout Felicity’s entire body like a tidal wave. The new person steps around the corner and Felicity recognizes him immediately. It’s the one and only love of her life. Oliver also looks a little older. A few specks of grey show in his hair but he is still so handsome it takes her breath away. 

“Daddy! Daddy!” the little girl exclaims as she raises her arms high above her head waiting for him to pick her up. He does exactly that and she wraps her legs around him and puts her arms around his shoulders. Oliver has the brightest smile on his face. The one that used to be reserved only for Felicity, but now is for both of his girls.

“What is it Ari? What’s got you all excited?” Oliver questions.

Her eyes light up like Christmas as she says, “Daddy I broke down the firewall all by myself! I even beat mommy’s record!”

Future Felicity walks toward them and places a hand on both of them. “She sure did,” she confirms proudly.

“Wow! You’re a genius just like your mom. You want to know what else you got from her?” Oliver asks as he turns to Future Felicity and flashes her that same smile. Ari nods in anticipation. “You got her chin and her nose and her hair. You got her wisdom, compassion, kindness, selflessness, bravery and her babbling, which I love so much” he glances over at Future Felicity with a gaze still so full of love “but most importantly, you got her strength.”

“I got a lot from mommy, didn’t I?”

“You really did,” he agrees “you got the very best parts of her.”

Ari smiles wide at that but suddenly her face falls and she looks so worried. Felicity has a strange undeniable urge to run and console her.

“Did I get anything from you then daddy?” she asks concerned.

“Oh, course you did,” Future Felicity chimes in “you got his big blue eyes.”

“Your eyes are blue too mommy,” Ari argues.

“Yes, but they aren’t the same type of blue. You got his ears and his cheeks too. You also got his protectiveness and you're stubborn just like him. I never thought I would meet anyone as stubborn as Oliver Jonas Queen until the day you came along,” she says as she bops Ari's cute little button nose. Her daughter giggles at that. “You also got his big heart and his willingness to do the right thing at all costs. Even when you were younger you always tried to do the right thing no matter what.”

Ari smiles then raises her eyebrows “You guys do know that I don’t know what half of those words mean right?” she asks. They both laugh, hug her tighter, and place a kiss on her forehead.

“Oh, but you will someday” Oliver assures her “and all that matters right now is that you know you got the best of both of us and we love you so, so much.”

At that moment, the front door opens and in walks a young man. He looks so familiar but yet quite a bit different to Felicity.

“Willie!” Ari exclaims as she runs to her brother and gives him a huge hug. William picks her up and puts her on his back for a piggyback ride. “I’ve got something cool to tell you,” she informs him.

“Oh, you do?”

“Yes, I sure do” Ari happily replies.

“How’s studying going? Is medical school kicking your butt?” Future Felicity asks.

“Sure is,” Will responds “That’s why I came here. I needed a break… and maybe some food.”

“Well head on into the kitchen. I’m just about to make some eggs,” Oliver invites.

With Ari still on his back, William heads toward the kitchen. “Mamma” William greets as he walks past Future Felicity and he places a kiss on her cheek. She laughs at that.

Once the kids have left the room, Oliver pulls Future Felicity in close and kisses her.

Oliver asks her in his quiet slightly seductive voice, “You want to know something that isn’t strange anymore?”

“What?” Felicity asks as she pulls herself closer to him.

“I’m happy” Oliver replies with the same facial expression he had when they ran away together after Nanda Parbat.

The vision fades and Felicity is transported back her time. She stands there for what seems like ages trying to process what she just saw.

“Felicity!” Cisco calls as he gently shakes her “Are you okay?”

She nods and the first thing out of her mouth is, “wow… do you think it’s possible to love someone you’ve only seen for a minute?”

Cisco answers, “in this case, I really do.”

Felicity’s eyes go wide with terror. “Oh frack. Since I just saw this, do you think I’m going to mess up the future? I really don’t want that to happen and…”

“I think you should just relax,” Cisco advises “the future is harder to change than you would think. And since you’re already pregnant, congratulations by the way, things have already been set in motion. I think as long as you and Oliver relax and try not to focus too much on the future, it will happen the way it’s supposed to.”

Felicity sighs with relief, “thank you Cisco and thanks for showing me.”

Barry suddenly blurs in and startles both of them, “We did it! Surge is locked away for good. Thanks for the help!”

“Of course,” Felicity responds “any time Barry. Well, I need to head back to Star City as soon as possible. There’s something urgent going on that needs my attention”

“Okay I can take you right now,” Barry says as he lifts her up. Before she leaves, she holds a finger up as if to shush Cisco and mouths _don’t tell anyone._ The last thing she sees before the blur is Cisco nodding in agreement.

********

It is very late before felicity makes it home from central city. As she opens the front door, the smells of home nearly overwhelm her. Even though she hasn’t lived in this place very long, she feels more at home here than any place she has ever lived. She makes her way to her and Oliver's room only to find a sleeping Oliver on her side of the bed. Undoubtedly, he tried to stay up for her but just couldn't manage to keep his eyes open. It is their tradition that whenever the other is gone they lie on their side of the bed until they return. As she approaches the bed, she can’t help her widening smile. She loves him so much like this. So vulnerable, so young-looking without the weight of like fifty worlds on his shoulders. Trying her best not to wake him, she slides in bed with her back to his chest. Reflexively in his sleep, he wraps his arms around her. He begins to wake up almost immediately.

"Hi honey" he mumbles still half asleep. She turns over just in time to see his adorable smile. “How was your time in Central City?”

“It was good,” she states nonchalantly trying to hide her excitement.

Oliver squints at her in suspicion, “you seem happy but a different happy, it's a type I don’t think I've ever seen on you.”

Felicity smirks, “you know me too well. It's probably because it is a new kind of happy I've never experienced before”

Oliver’s forehead scrunches together in confusion, “what are you talking about felicity?”

“Something happened in Central City. A meta sent sparks through the computer and made me almost fall over. Cisco caught me and when he touched me, he vibed me... gosh that sounds terrible, but he did.”

“And what did he see?" Oliver asks. All felicity can do is stare down slowly at her belly. She can tell the second Oliver realizes what he saw because his quickly widening eyes snap to hers instantly.

"Our baby?” he questions “Cisco saw our baby, didn't he?” She nods and the biggest smile comes across her face as she begins to recall the memory.

"She's amazing Oliver," Felicity says in awe as she places a hand on her stomach.

"Wait she?... It's a girl?" He asks shocked.

"Yes, and she's absolutely everything I could have ever dreamed of."

"A girl..." he states still processing. "Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

“I wanted it to be a girl. I wanted a mini you more than anything in the world," he confesses while radiating happiness. "Tell me about her and the vision."

Felicity explains everything she can about the vibe wanting so desperately to relive it again. The whole time Oliver is listening intently with a dazzling smile and tears in his eyes. An expression all too rare for him.

"She really is more perfect than I could have ever imagined," Felicity says breathlessly. 

“Is this real?” Oliver asks as he places his hands on Felicity’s belly where their daughter is growing "it has to be real. She seems like everything we could have hoped for and more.”

“To top it off, William called me Mama. I never knew that was something I wanted, but seeing him and the relationship we have, I want it so bad. And then there was me and you, still so in love. Maybe even more so than we are now. Though I don’t even think that's possible."

“Please let it be real," he whispers desperately.

"I hope it is more than anything too. Can I tell you something?" She asks seriously.

“Of course, anything.”

“When we first found out I was pregnant, I was terrified,” she confesses. “You knew that though. What you didn't know, is that this whole time I've still been really scared and anxious. I couldn't help but think that I wasn't ready. That I wanted more time. That it was way too soon. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I was scared I could resent this baby for taking the life I had planned for us too soon. I was afraid everything would change in a bad way. But then I saw our future and I saw her, and in that moment, everything changed for me. I saw our whole family so happy and I saw us still so in love. I never knew I could fall in love with a child so easily until I looked into her beautiful blue eyes and I saw the best parts of both of us staring back at me. It's the first time I'm not scared of the change she will bring, I'm actually beyond excited for it. I am scared for something else though now…”

“And what's that?”

“Will the things we say or do affect the future I just saw?“ she wonders aloud.

“Oh… I don’t know, I hope not” Oliver frowns with worry.

“I asked Cisco. He eased my mind a little. He said the future is harder to change than you would think. That if we live our lives and try not to think too much about that future, then it will happen the way it's supposed to. He said to trust our instincts and we will be okay.”

“Then that's what we’ll do. For our baby, for us, and for the life I never thought I'd be capable or worthy of having but now know someday I will.” Oliver kisses her forehead and she nestles into his embrace. Her eyes suddenly become too heavy to hold open anymore and with that, they both drift off into the most blissful sleep they have had in ages.


	4. Chapter 4

Felicity can't stop her hands from trembling as she wraps William's gift. Today is the day she and Oliver are going to tell him about the baby. It is also the day of her first ultrasound. They are planning to invite William if he reacts well to the news. As she is wrapping, she feels Oliver sneak up behind her and wrap his hands around hers. He's trying his best to steady her.

“Please stop worrying. William is going to be happy about this" he whispers in her ear.

Felicity turns to him, “And how do you know? How do you know he isn't going to freak out?”

“I know because he's a lot like me and I'm thrilled, so I bet he will be too.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” she retorts.

“You're right I don’t, but worrying isn't going to fix anything. So let's just go tell him then we'll know for sure.”

Before she can lose her courage, she struts out into the living room where Will is sitting doing homework.

“Hi Will. Your dad and I have something for you,” she states as she sets the gift down.

He looks up from his homework and squints in confusion. “What is this for? It isn't my birthday.”

“This was the only way we could think to tell you something. And actually, if you like it, you will be giving this gift to someone else” Oliver states. William shrugs and opens the gift. It's a multi picture frame with the quote _because I have a brother, I'll always have a friend_ etched in cursive along the edge. William stares at the picture in shock for what seems like an eternity.

When he can finally speak, he keeps his head down but asks slowly, "I'm going to be a brother?"

“Yes” both Oliver and felicity answer simultaneously. When William finally looks up, he can no longer hide the smile on his face.

“Really?!” he asks and they both nod. He looks back down at the frame, his thumb touching the word _brother_. “I've always wanted to be a brother. For a long time, I thought it would never happen to me and now... this is amazing!”

“Really? You're happy?” Felicity asks.

“Yeah I am. It's not always so fun being an only child.”

Both Felicity and Oliver chuckle.

“Don’t I know it,” Felicity agrees.

“So when will you have the baby? Like when are you due?” William questions.

“Actually, we don’t have an official date yet buddy," Oliver states. "That's part of the reason we told you now. We're going to the first ultrasound today and wanted to know if you would like to come along."

"Is that even a question... yes I would. When is it?"

"In 20 minutes so you better get ready if you're coming," Felicity answers.

"Oh, I am,” he says as he sets the frame down on top of his books. Before he moves to get ready, he looks at the frame once more and says to himself “I'm going to be a brother... wow.”

They make it to the clinic just in time. They sit down in the waiting room until the Ultrasound Technologist named Lily comes to get them. She leads them into a small room with an ultrasound machine, a bed, a few chairs, and a TV screen mounted to the wall. She explains the procedure to Felicity before she has her lift up her shirt and applies warm gel to her stomach. After a couple of seconds, the baby appears on the screen. They all sit in stunned silence for a moment when they realize the baby already looks like a tiny human. They can even see the little flicker of a heartbeat.

"There’s baby! Now I'm going to get baby’s heart rate," Lily informs them. "Now we don’t listen to the heart rate anymore but we do look at it. It is safer for the baby the way we do it. Baby’s heart rate is 138 which is within normal limits."

They all continue to stare at the screen. Lily goes on to show them a few different body parts like the brain, arms, and legs. Then something unexpected happens. Baby kicks hard enough that it looks like she is jumping.

“Did you see that?” Lily asks excitedly “the baby just kicked really hard. Looks like you have an active one in there.”

All of them laugh. Felicity can't stop the tears from coming. That's her baby in there. Not just a blob like she thought it might look, but her actual baby. With a heartbeat and hands and feet. A baby that already moves and kicks. It's so incredible, her brain can hardly process it. While the technologist is taking a look at her uterus and ovaries, she looks over at Oliver only to see him with a huge grin on his face and a few tears in his eyes.

“That's our baby” are the only words he can manage.

She glances at William who is grinning from ear to ear.

“Will, what do you think?” she asks.

“I didn't actually think it was real, but it is” he marvels in disbelief “I'm going to be a big brother. This is incredible!”

Lily takes one more look at the baby and a few more measurements.

“We’re all done here,” Lily says as she wipes of Felicity’s stomach. “According to my measurements, your due date is April 14th. Would you like a CD with images and a couple of video clips?

“Of course, we would,” Felicity responds. The CD copies off quickly then Lily escorts all three of them back to the main entrance.

As Oliver and felicity walk out of the clinic hand in hand, still half in shock and half ecstatic, William turns to them and says, “I know this may sound strange coming from a big brother and I don’t really know why myself, but I really hope it's a girl.”

Oliver and Felicity grin at each other knowingly.

“Well you have pretty decent odds” Felicity replies.

“Yeah I'd say 50/50 isn't bad odds,” Oliver says with a wink to Felicity. He grips the CD even tighter, holding onto the first glimpse he has of his daughter and refusing to let go. He will no doubt be watching those short clips and staring at those images every day from now until the day they meet their perfect angel.


	5. Chapter 5

Weeks have passed since her first ultrasound and Felicity is 18 weeks pregnant on the dot. Very few people know about the baby yet, but with her growing baby bump she knows the days are short until she has to announce the news to everyone. She and Oliver decided earlier in the pregnancy they wanted to wait to make an announcement until their chance of miscarriage lessened. Not even Dig or Donna know yet. Though their future seems to be set in stone, they don’t want to do anything to jinx it.

Between her full-time job as CEO of Smoak Tech, her night job as Overwatch, and doing everything for two now, Felicity has reached a new level of exhaustion. She places her elbow on the computer desk in the bunker and rubs her eyes. It's just past 11:30pm and her, Oliver, and John are doing their best to track down the newest big bad. As soon as she is scrunched forward intent on finding her target, all the screens around her go black and she hears a familiar voice coming from the screen directly in front of her.

"And you thought you'd seen the last of me," he threatens with a laugh.

"Surge? How are you doing this?” she questions “You’re supposed to be in prison."

"It doesn't matter now," he answers. "All that matters is you're gonna pay for what you've done to me."

Before she has time to even blink, a visible surge of electricity that appears similar to a lightning bolt bursts out of the monitor behind her and strikes her across the back. Immediately Felicity falls limp to the ground. Her lifeless body lays in an unnatural position. Oliver sprints over to her faster than he has ever moved in his life.

“Felicity!” he screams. “You have to stay with me.” He checks her pulse and nearly panics when we doesn't feel it. “John she doesn't have a pulse we need the defibrillator now!”

John wheels the machine over as quickly as he can while Oliver rips her shirt off and starts CPR.

John sets the machine up and places the pads on Felicity and yells, “clear!” Oliver throws his hands in the air and folds them behind his neck looking more panicked than John has ever seen him.

“Come on, come on, come on” Oliver yells and the machine shocks her. Oliver checks her pulse and breathes a sigh of relief when he feels it again. He puts his ear by her mouth and relaxes a little more when he hears her breathing. “We have to go,” he states with urgency as he begins to pick her up.

“We can't move her Oliver," John warns.

“We have to John. The ambulance is not going to be fast enough and I'll be damned if I sit here and watch her die in front of me!”

Without hesitation, John grabs the keys and runs to start the car. As gently as he can, Oliver picks her up and runs her to the car. The whole drive the only thing Oliver can do is murmur, “please, please, please live. You have to live.”

Once they arrive at the hospital, they run to the ER. A swarm of doctors meet them. They are ready to go since John called them on the way. Oliver lays Felicity on the stretcher and quickly kisses her on the forehead knowing all too well this could be the last time he ever kisses her. They wheel her away with impressive speed.

John places a hand on his shoulder and says, “it's going to be okay Oliver.”

“No it won't!” he snaps. “She’s pregnant John. Nothing may ever be okay again. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It can't be like this,” he says in defeat. 

John stands shocked for a moment then says, “well if I know the both of you and I do, then I know somehow they'll both pull through. After all, that baby has both of your DNA.”

“I just don’t know anymore.” Oliver slides down the wall and puts his knees to his chest. "They have to be okay, they just have to,” he pleads to anyone who will listen.

For the first time, Oliver cries. He cries harder than he ever has in his entire life. He can’t imagine it. He might lose two of the very most important things in his life and he can’t bare it.

***********

He sits by her bedside and waits for something... anything to happen. Any slight movement or some sign to give him hope, but nothing happens. The doctors told him it could be a while before she wakes after that sort of trauma. In this moment, all he can do is watch her. He can't move, he can hardly breathe, and he most definitely cannot speak.

He isn't sure how much time has passed when he hears a faint knock on the door. A woman in her early thirties enters the room pushing a large machine.

"Hi, my name is Angela and I'm here to do an ultrasound on the baby," she announces. A nod is about all Oliver can muster in that moment. Angela sets her machine up, exposes Felicity’s stomach, and applies gel to it. There are jagged cuts along Felicity’s entire side that actually somewhat resemble a lightning bolt.

Angela then begins the scan and after a moment states, "the baby’s heart rate is 146."

Oliver's head snaps up. "The baby is alive?" he asks in shock.

"Yes and 146 is a good heart rate too," she confirms.

Oliver breathes a sigh of relief. He looks up at the screen just in time to see the baby move. For the first time in what seems like an eternity, Oliver smiles. He continues to watch the screen as Angela takes images and measurements. His mind is still too numb to process much of anything.

At the end of the scan, Angela turns to him and says, "normally we would never do this, but I know this is a terrible situation and you probably just want a little hope." Again, Oliver nods. He wants so much more than that. He wants Felicity to be awake and safe and happy and he wants the same for his child. "Would you like to know the gender of your baby?"

Before he can even think about it, he answers "yes."

Angela scans again and freezes an image before saying, "it's a little girl."

A tiny glimmer of hope shines through the fog of despair in Oliver's mind. The vision of the curly haired blue-eyed child that Cisco recently showed him fills his thoughts. _Maybe everything will be okay and that future is still possible_. He thinks to himself but then reality sets in and he remembers where he is. The glimmer of hope diminishes just as quickly as it came. Angela packs up her machine and leaves. Oliver is overcome with numbness and all he can do is sit and stare at the nothingness his life has suddenly become.

Oliver doesn't know how long he has sat there since Angela left, but he does know he has to say something, anything if Felicity is ever going to come back to him. He grips her hand tighter and brings it up by his face.

He clears his throat before choking out, "Felicity baby, you gotta wake up, you gotta come back to me. You are my entire world. You've brought so much light and goodness and warmth to my life. I don't have any idea where I would be without you. You are everything I could have dreamed of and a million times more. You are my star and I can't even bare the thought if you...if you… Just please, please come back. That future that Cisco saw can still be ours just please..." The tears overcome Oliver and he can’t continue. He sits there crying silent tears until he falls asleep at her side from exhaustion.

Something wakes Oliver up from his restless sleep. While still in a fog, he tries to figure out the reason he is being pulled out of his slumber. Was it a loud noise? No. A bright light? No that wasn't it either. He opens his eyes a little but is confused to where he even is. Then he feels it. A light squeeze of his hand. Suddenly everything is pulled into focus and he lifts his head.

In front of him is the best sight he thinks he's ever seen. His wife staring down at him with a tiny grin on her face. He doesn't care that his eyes are so red from all the tears he has shed because suddenly the world is right again.

With a raspy voice she says, "You're my star too. You know that right?"

Relief and happiness fill him to the brim and he leans forward and kisses her. "Yes, baby yes, I know that. I love you so much."

Concern suddenly washes over her face. "The baby?" she asks in panic.

"She's doing just fine," Oliver says happily.

"She?"

"The ultrasound technologist was feeling bad for us and asked if we wanted to know the gender," Oliver explains. "Without thinking, I said yes. I hope you're not mad."

"I'm not. Now we know those visions Cisco had are real. She's going to be amazing," she croons as she caresses her belly.

"She will be that and so much more. Just like her mom," Oliver says as he plants a soft kiss on Felicity's growing stomach.


	6. Chapter 6

Sara sits in her captain's chair on the Waverider trying to make a plan for their newest villain Discharge. Ironically enough, his main mission in life is to make sure the world is depleted of all electricity. Sara sighs and rubs her temple in frustration.

"Miss Lance," Gideon chimes in. "I may have a solution to your latest dilemma with Discharge."

"Yeah and what's that Gideon?" she asks in a slightly sarcastic tone. At this point she has gone over every option and found no solution.

"There is one hero from the future that may be able to help you."

"Why didn't you mention this sooner?" Sara asks in frustration. Gideon ignores her and pulls up the files on this new hero. Along with the files, there is one picture of this hero. A girl in her mid-twenties with curly medium length dark blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Something about her seems oddly familiar to Sara.

"She goes by the name Electra," Gideon informs, "and if she continues on the path she is currently on, she will be the most successful hero in all of history."

Sara can’t help but scoff a little at that. "And how exactly do you measure that?"

"It is determined by the amount of lives saved. Which, in her case, is a little over 82 million. Not to mention the seven times she’ll manage to save the planet."

It's not often that Sara is speechless but this is one occasion, she most certainly is. "And you think she will have time to help us?"

"I'm sure of it" Gideon confirms, "but if we are to preserve the timeline, I’ll take you to her but I cannot tell you where or what time you are going to."

"Hey, if it helps us get this guy, we could go to the moon and I wouldn't care. Alert the team. Tell them we're leaving in an hour."

The Legends appear in what seems like a very fancy underground lair. In the center of the room is a round platform with blue lights underneath. It has two rounded desks with multiple computers. Around the edges of the platform, there are weapons of all variety. Directly across the circle from them are empty silver mannequins. No doubt the owners of the clothes are all out wearing them right now. Everything in this lair is lighted with blue lights. There is something about this place that’s so familiar to Sara just like the picture of the girl's face was.

The team has just enough time to adjust their eyes to the new surroundings, when an arrow is pointed directly at Sara's head from the shadows across the room.

"I'm looking for someone who goes by the name of Electra," Sara states calmly. The person slowly lowers the bow and takes a step forward into the light. She is beautiful and small but strong. She is wearing a blue and black suit, a mask, and a hood. At first, she just stares at Sara half shocked and then her lips turn up slightly into a small smile. She slowly lowers her hood and removes her mask.

"I knew this day would come," she states knowingly. "Hello White Canary. What is it you need from me?"

Sara stifles her shock and remains on the task at hand, "there's a villain in the past called Discharge and he wants to make sure humans never discover electricity and he wants to deplete the entire world of power. We were told you were the only person who could stop him."

"Discharge huh? That's a pretty appropriate name," she scoffs. "Of course I will help in whatever way I can. Where or, I guess I should say, when are we going?" The question only makes Sara more confused. Somehow this girl knows about her and about what the Legends do.

"Follow me then," Sara says as she leads her outside to the Waverider. Before boarding, she takes in the city around her. That's when she realizes exactly where she is. The city is so different and yet so similar. You never forget your home town. "This is Star City," she half asks.

"Yup it sure is," Electra confirms. They all board the Waverider. Sara can't help but watch the girl's face light up as she takes in her surroundings. "I've always dreamed about what the Waverider might look like. I mean when I always pictured it I thought it might look something like this. Sort of futuristic with lots of tech and stuff. Sorry I know I'm rambling I just never thought I would get to see it."

Sara smiles a little and says, "well now you have, and you might want to buckle up."

Everyone on the Waverider greets Electra before getting seated. She buckles up and before Electra knows it, they have time jumped to the past. Nausea almost overcomes her but she promises herself she won't throw up.

"Well that was not the least bit fun," she groans. They all chuckle.

"Yeah it definitely takes some getting used to," Ray laughs.

"Now come on. We've got a whole lot of electricity to save," Sara says.

They go over the plan before leaving the Waverider. Basically, the team will take down all of Discharge's men while Electra incapacitates Discharge. Electra decides to go in first since she has a set target. Before the whole team has a chance to completely get out of the Waverider, Electra takes down the three men that are between her and Discharge with impeccable fighting skills. Sara and the rest of the team then find themselves incredibly busy taking down the remaining twelve guys.

Near the end of the fight, something happens that makes everyone in the room freeze. Electra releases what looks like a wave of electricity from her hands and forms a force field around herself. In the next second, she punches the ground so hard it ripples with electricity and knocks all of the bad guys down. This leaves Sara and the Legends with nothing to do but watch in awe as ropes of lightning shoot from Electra's hands and wrap around Discharge.

Electra grins at discharge then says, "funny that the one thing you were trying to destroy in the world, ends up being the thing that takes you down." Discharge scowls at that and the Legends can help but chuckle a little.

"Come on, let's find you a holding cell that you can rot in forever," Sara says.

Right before their eyes, Electra turns the electric current ropes into metal binding. "There that'll hold him," she states with pride.

The Legends leave the men behind but take Discharge up into the Waverider.

As the team is getting strapped in Electra says, "well that was quick. We did that in under five minutes."

Mick grumbles, "that's because you did all of the work kid." Electra just smiles in response.

The Waverider launches forward taking Electra home.

When they come to a halt Ray says, "well this is your stop. Thank you so much for helping us."

Surprisingly, Electra gives him a huge hug and says, "you're welcome. I'm here for you guys any time you need."

Goodbyes are exchanged all around and when Electra is heading out, Sara surprises even herself by saying, "let me walk you back in." Electra just nods in agreement.

As they walk back in, Sara is hit with another wave of familiarity. Everything about this place and this girl is so familiar it’s basically tangible.

"Maybe we should sit down for this," Electra suggests and pulls up a chair for both of them. Sara has so many questions, she isn't sure where to start.

She decides to start with, "You were amazing out there. You know that right? I've never seen anything even remotely like that." Electra looks down but smiles shyly. Sara continues, "but your fighting style reminds me so much of...so much of…"

"Of you?" Electra guesses.

"Yes, but why?"

Then Electra looks her dead in the eyes and says, "because you're the one who taught me."

The feeling of shock hits Sara like never before. "What? How? Why?" she sputters.

"Maybe I should tell you my name first,” Electra suggests “that may clear some things up. My name is Arianna Lauren. I won't tell you my last name quite yet because I need to explain those names first. The Ari is for Arrow. That's how my parents met. The Anna stands for my grandma Donna. The Lau stands for Quentin Lance, your father, after the man who was so much like a father figure to my dad. And the Ren is for Dearden after both my aunt Thea and my grandma Moira."

Sara marvels, "you're Oliver and Felicity's daughter."

"I am." She states with pride. "Arianna Lauren Smoak-Queen is my full name. People just call me Ari though." Sara can’t help but feel a little dumb. Of course, that is who Ari is. She's the spitting image of both of them. Plus, back in her time, Felicity is very pregnant with a little girl.

"How did I not see it earlier?" Sara wonders.

"I really don't know," Ari teases "everyone says I'm just like both of them."

"So, I train you? Why me?" Sara asks.

“I can't tell you all the answers, of course, but let's just say my dad is very stubborn and you're who I trust most.”

“I'll take it. I’ve taught you very well I must say” Sara says with a slight bow.

“You sure have,” Ari agrees.

“And you have some sort of electric powers?”

“I’m a meta, specifically an electropath, but I can also use magic. Add that to my amazing fighting and archery skills, and I guess you could call me a triple threat.”

“You could definitely say that.”

“It’s been a long journey to get here. Right now, I’m working on harnessing the electricity in brainwaves. The hope is that I will be able to change someone’s mind to keep them from doing something horrible. I may also be able to heal brain injuries. That’s the hope, of course, I have a long way to go to get there. I’m also working on projecting my powers over greater distances. Right now, I have a range of about 80 miles.”

“That’s truly incredible Ari. And your parents? Are they…”

“Just as amazing as ever. Though they don’t do as much heroing as they used to. They aren’t as young as they once were.”

Sara laughs at that, “I suppose not.”

Just then Ray pops in, “sorry to bother you guys, but we should probably be going soon.”

Sara sighs, “Okay I’ll be there soon.” Ray disappears and Sara stares apologetically at Ari. “I wish I could stay longer. This is the first place I have traveled that I don’t want to leave.”

“I wish you could stay longer too but, in a way, you should be happy.”

Sara raises her eyebrows, “and why is that?”

“Because you have a whole lifetime ahead of you with me. You get to watch me grow, help pick me up when I fall, and teach me all lessons you wish you had known when you were younger. I have a whole lifetime of memories with my Auntie Sara that are just waiting for you to experience. And now that I have met this version of you, maybe my relationship with the Sara that I know will only strengthen.”

“Wow. How did you get to be so smart?”

Now it’s Ari’s turn to raise an eyebrow, “you have met my mom, right?”

“I almost forgot about that,” Sara laughs.

“Speaking of my mom,” Ari says seriously. “Can you give her a message for me? And I already know this message won’t mess with the timeline.”

“Of course I will”

“Right now, my mom is absolutely terrified. She would never ever admit it, but she is horrified of being a mom. She’s afraid she will be an awful mother and she is scared she will end up like her mother. Please tell her that she is the best mother anyone could hope for and not to worry.” Then Ari smiles. “There’s absolutely no way I could hate her either. I’m way too much like her. Tell my dad he is also an incredible father and I couldn’t have asked for any better. Also give them a hint on my name. They’ll never get it otherwise. Say that I am named after the reason they met and four important people to them.”

“I will do that. Now I really do have to go,” Sara says sadly.

Ari gives her a big hug while saying, “Goodbye Aunt Sara. I love you.”

Until today, Sara never would’ve thought it was possible to love someone in a matter of minutes but Ari is proving her wrong. “I love you too,” she states positively.

As they part ways Ari says, “see you soon.”

“Yeah I will kiddo,” Sara confirms and shuts the door behind her with the biggest smile she thinks she has ever had.


	7. Chapter 7

Felicity sits on the couch in her living room and attempts to get comfortable. Today is April 3rd though, which means she's 38 weeks pregnant and as big as a house. Comfort is not a luxury she gets anymore. As she goes over some of the plans for Smoak Tech her security system, which she has also been working diligently on, informs her there is someone at the door. She hoists herself up as quickly as possible and her baby kicks in protest. She waddles to the door and is met with a surprise.

"Sara!" she exclaims happily, "what are you doing here?" 

"Just got finished with another mission and I thought I would drop by and check on you before you pop. Which, by the way, look at you."

"Yeah I know I'm huge," she groans. Sara hovers over Felicity as they make their way back to the couch. After Felicity slowly lowers herself down, Sara sits next to her. "So how is everything going? Are you ready for her?”

"It's going pretty well but I am getting tired of being pregnant and not being able to move or see my feet. Most everything is ready now."

"Only two more weeks!"

Felicity laughs a little, "yeah as long as she's not stubborn like her father and decides to wait longer." Then Felicity gasps a little and grabs up under her right rib.

"Are you okay?" Sara questions with worry.

"Fine," she pants. "She's just kicking so hard. I’m pretty sure she's gonna be a fighter like her dad."

"Oh, she most definitely is," Sara says with a small smile. Then her eyes widen because she knows she slipped up.

Felicity's eyes snap up to hers. "What did you just say? Did you just say she is?"

"No," Sara quickly says trying to cover her slip up. "I meant to say I bet she will be."

"No, you didn't. You know something don't you?" Felicity demands.

Sara tries to argue, "no I don't."

Then with difficulty, Felicity scoots toward her and begs, "please Sara if you know something, you have to tell me. I'm a mother now and I worry about her and about everything all the time." Felicity puts her hands protectively on her belly. This reminds Sara of the words Ari said to her a matter of hours ago. She knows she can't keep quiet. As she thinks of Ari, her face begins to light up.

"She's absolutely incredible," Sara beams. "She's so much like the both of you. Strong, determined, brave, compassionate, beautiful, tough, wise, intelligent, and selfless. She's also got a bit of her own personality. She has a funny side to her that neither of you two have. She has one of those infectious personalities that people around her can't help but love her."

Felicity caresses her stomach and smiles so wide she practically glows. "She's going to be okay then?"

"No" Sara responds. Felicity's head snaps up in confusion. Sara laughs, "she's going to be way better than okay. She's going to be about a perfect as they come. She'll be everything you could wish for in a daughter." They both sit in wonder for a minute just thinking about that little girl.

"Can you tell me more about her?" Felicity hungrily asks.

"Not a lot. I don't want to mess with the timeline" she warns, " but she did give me a message to give to you.”

“She did?”

“Yes. First, she told me to give you a hint on her name. She said you’ll never get it otherwise. She’s named after four important people to you guys and she’s named after how you and Oliver met.”

“You know her name, don’t you?” Felicity challenges.

“I do and it’s gorgeous.”

“Sara! Tell me now!” she demands.

Sara puts her hands up and shrugs, “I can’t. This one is all on you to figure out.”

Felicity’s face scrunches together in concentration. “Well if that isn’t a riddle, I don’t know what is. It’s a good thing I’m great at solving mysteries. What else did she say?”

“She told me that you would never admit this, but you are terrified of being a mom.” Felicity tries to laugh it off but Sara doesn’t buy it. “She told me to tell you not to be. You’re going to be the best mother anyone could hope for. She said both of you are going to be incredible parents. She also said you’re worried she could hate you just like you used to hate your mom, but she laughed at that and said it wasn’t possible because she’s too much like you.”

Felicity looks down again at her enormous belly with happy tears running down her cheeks, “she really said that?”

“Yes, the love she has for both her parents, but especially you, was practically tangible when she talked about you.”

Felicity speaks softly to her baby, “hey little girl. Sara says you’re going to love us so much but we are going to love even more. We’re going to have so much love going around I’m not sure what we’re going to do with it.”

“Probably combust.”

“I sure hope not,” Felicity responds and they both laugh.

Sara’s face falls, “I know I just got here, but I need to get back to the Legends. Don’t worry though, I’ll be back a lot more often. I don’t want to miss a second of this little rascal growing up.” Sara holds her hand out near Felicity and asks “Can I?”

“Oh course,” Felicity answers.

Sara places a hand on Felicity’s stomach and is rewarded with a swift kick. “Geez she’s starting the fighting early I see. Goodbye little one. You be good for your mom okay? Auntie Sara can’t wait to meet you.”

Felicity laughs, “In a million years I never could’ve imagined Sara Lance would sit over my baby bump and talk baby talk, but here we are. It’s funny how life works out.”

“Yeah it sure is,” Sara agrees and she gives Felicity a big hug. “You take care of her and yourself okay?”

“I will.” Just like that, Sara is gone.

Felicity just takes a minute to sit back and revel in all she just heard. Her daughter, the tiny baby that is currently kicking the living daylights out of her ribs, is going to be everything she could have wanted. She must be truly incredible for Sara to rave about her since it’s a rarity for Sara to rave about anyone. For the first time since she found out she was pregnant, she breathes a sigh of relief. Her baby is going to love her and not hate her. A sense of peace floods over her and she knows everything will work out the way it should.

The first thing she wants to do after processing everything is to go find Oliver. She knows this kind of news shouldn’t wait. She slips on her favorite pair of maroon slippers because that’s all that will fit her swollen feet. She makes it down the elevator and about six steps outside before she realizes something is very wrong. It is colder outside than normal and a light drizzle has turned to a sheet of ice that covers the ground. Felicity tries to slow down but it is too late. Her foot hits an ice patch at just the right angle and she is face down on the ground before she even has time to catch herself. Pain from the fall shoots along her whole right side where the impact was worst.

As she tries to get herself back up, pain like she’s never felt before shoots through her entire abdomen. Felicity is overcome with panic. She’s knows something is very wrong with her and her baby. Thankfully one of her older neighbors named Jim comes to her aid and calls 911.

“Let’s get you up,” he says but then looks at the ground. “Never mind, I think you should stay right here.”

“Why what is it?” Felicity questions.

“You’re bleeding quite a bit,” he states as calmly as he can before calling 911. Felicity can’t help but start crying. The only conclusion her brain can come up with is Sara must’ve changed the timeline by coming to talk to her and now her baby is going to die.

The ambulance arrives just then and they lift her onto a stretcher. As the medical team works feverishly around her, Felicity uses her phone to make a call. It rings twice before there’s an answer.

“Felicity what is it? Are you okay?” Oliver picks up in his normal slightly panicked voice. Normally she would roll her eyes at this, but it turns out he is right on this occasion. He had a reason to be panicked all this time.

“Oliver” she cries, “I fell on some ice on the way to tell you something and now it’s bad. I think it’s really, really bad. I’m in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Can you please meet me there?”

“Of course I can,” he says trying to remain as calm as possible.

Minutes after she hangs up the phone, they arrive at the hospital. She is rushed into a large trauma room and, to her surprise, is greeted by Oliver. Somehow he beat her there.

“Hi baby,” he croons as he takes her hand. “I’m here, I’m here. It’s going to be okay.”

Before Felicity can argue, a doctor comes rushing in. “Hello Felicity. I’m going to check you over very quick,” she informs. Her expert hands are quick and thorough. Once she’s done, she straightens up and looks at both of them. “I’m going to get right to it since we don’t have time to waste. Felicity you most likely are having what we call a placental abruption. Basically, your placenta is detaching from your uterus and is depriving your baby of everything she needs to survive. Your baby is also in distress which means we need to do an emergency C-section right now.”

“What? No! It’s too early,” Felicity protests.

“38 weeks is definitely far enough along but if we are going to save her, we need to go now” the doctor states matter-of-factly. Felicity can only nod.

As they start to wheel her away, Oliver yells, “wait! Let me say goodbye.” The stretcher halts for a moment and he kisses Felicity. “I love you so much. It’s going to be okay I just know it. You’re stronger than anyone I know and so is our daughter.”

He squeezes her hand one last time. They wheel Felicity away and Oliver is left alone in a hospital to wonder what will become of his wife and daughter for the second time in just a matter of months.


	8. Chapter 8

Two hours and twenty three minutes. That’s how long Oliver has been pacing back and forth trying to keep his sanity about him. Two hours and twenty three minutes since they wheeled her away from him. They should be done by now.

With every passing minute, Oliver’s hope fades away and his worry and fear grow. Just then, the doctor rushes out. By the expression on her face he can tell it’s not good news. He braces himself for what he is about to hear.

“What is it Doc?” he manages to choke out.

“I delivered your baby. A healthy baby girl. She’s definitely a fighter. They’re taking her to the NICU for observation purposes only and you will be able to see her soon.”

Oliver can’t help but smile and breathe a sigh of relief. His daughter is alive and she is okay.

Then despair overcomes him again, “and… and Felicity?”

“She is alive but I have tried everything and I can’t get the bleeding to stop. I need your permission to remove her uterus.” Oliver tries his best to process what is happening. If they remove her uterus, that means they will never have another child. If it saves her life though, it’s a small price to pay.

“If that’s what’s needed to save her, then do what you have to” he says and with a small nod the doctor leaves.

Oliver doesn’t even have time to think before someone whisks him away to the NICU. They make him wash his hands for a long time and put a gown on before he is led to his daughter’s room. She is lying in a small incubator looking thing. The nurse instructs him to sit down and places her in his arms. Oliver stares down at his daughter and starts crying happy tears. She is so beautiful. The perfect mixture of Felicity and himself.

“Hello sweet girl. I’m your daddy. I promise to always be there for you and to love you for the rest of my life.” The baby lets out a squeal. “I know you miss your mom, I do too, but she will be back to us very soon I hope.”

Oliver has been sitting there for what seems like ages, both in awe of his daughter and worrying about his wife, when the doctor comes to find him.

“I just finished with your wife. She is in recovery and doing well. I did have to remove her uterus but her ovaries are intact. Once she wakes up and is stable, they will move her to a hospital room. You can see her there. I also spoke to the NICU doctor and your daughter is doing well enough to be transferred to the room with Felicity.”

Oliver breathes his first breath of fresh air in so long, “thank you so much for saving both of them Doctor.”

“You’re welcome,” she says with a weary smile.

One hour later, Oliver and a nurse wheel the baby up to Felicity’s room. Oliver enters the room first. He is greeted with a huge smile from his wife.

“Hi” she croaks, “I guess you were right, it all turned out okay.”

A tear escapes Oliver’s eye, “yeah I guess I was.” He quickly walks over to her, kisses her, then gives her a gentle hug. “You did it, baby. You were so amazing and so is our baby.”

“Can I see her?” she practically begs.

“Yes of course.” He rolls the bassinet into the room, picks her up, and puts her gently in her mother’s arms right where she belongs. Felicity smiles and cries. She can’t believe her perfect baby is okay and so beautiful.

"Hello there Arianna Lauren Smoak-Queen,” she greets her with pride.

“Is that her name?” Oliver asks. They had been tossing around names for a while but nothing stuck.

“Yes if that's okay with you. That’s why I was outside of our apartment in the first place. I was coming to tell you something. Sara came by the house this morning. She told me she met her.”

“In the future?” Oliver questions.

“Yes, and Arianna had a message for us. She told us not to be afraid because we are the best parents she could have ever asked for. She also gave me a hint on her name. I had to solve the riddle though. The name is very symbolic.”

“It is?”

“Yes, she’s named after the arrow which is how we met and she’s named after both our mothers, your sister, and Quentin.”

“I love it. Just like I love both of you” Oliver beams then he hesitates for a moment, “Felicity there’s something I should tell you.”

Her face falls, “what is it?”

“In order to save your life, I had to tell the doctors to remove your uterus. Which means, unless by some extreme measures, we can’t have any more kids.”

Felicity ponders this for a moment then glances down at her daughter, “that’s okay our track record with this pregnancy was not the greatest plus, look at her. She’s more than enough. Between you, William, and her I have more than I ever thought was possible. This is everything I wished for plus the things I never even thought to ask.”

He plants a soft kiss on Arianna’s head, “I have never agreed with you more.”

After a few minutes of them both sitting in wonder trying to take in everything that just happened, Oliver remembers something very important. “Do you know what national day it is today?”

With confusion Felicity says, “No…?”

“I overheard a conversation in the NICU that today is national hope day. I think it's pretty fitting she was born on the day that everything I've hoped for in my entire life has finally come true."

Looking in his baby’s eyes and at his beautiful wife, knowing his son will be joining them soon, he realizes something. This is the first time, possibly in his entire life, that Oliver has felt completely whole.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to start by saying thank you for all the comments and kudos so far! They have encouraged me to continue writing. My goal is to continue updating every Sunday. From here until the end of this fic events will be set up a little differently. The story will be in set in the future, when Arianna is in her late teens, and it will have flashbacks to her childhood. Again, thanks for all the support!

The glow from the flames of her seventeen birthday candles is mesmerizing. It’s hard to believe she’s been alive for a whole for seventeen whole years now.

“Make a wish,” Felicity says with misty eyes.

She looks up from the cake through the smoke arising from the candles and glances around at all of the smiling faces of her loved ones. Some of which have traveled many miles and even several worlds to be here.

 _What could I possibly wish for?_ she thinks, _I have everything I could possibly want. Except.._

Her wish. It’s the same wish she’s wanted since she was nine years old. A desire she wants more than anything in the world. She shuts her eyes tight and wishes with all of her might

 _I wish to become a great hero like my parents. I wish this will be the year I can finally be out in the field._ She opens her eyes and blows the candles out and everyone claps.

After all the guests have devoured her cake, they all make their rounds wishing her a happy birthday. In the midst of this, a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders from behind her.

A voice whispers in her right ear, “happy birthday Sparky.” She whips around faster than she would’ve thought possible. Her heart skips a beat as she stares into the all too familiar dark brown eyes of her childhood best friend.

“Hey almost-Argus-agent-man! What are you doing here?” she questions with excitement.

“You didn’t really think I could miss this did you?” JJ asks.

“Of course not,” she grins and opens her arms for a hug. They embrace each other until an undeniable electric current courses through them. They let go immediately and both stare down at the floor with embarrassed grins.

 _Well that’s never happened before_ , she thinks.

“How long are you in town?” She asks a little too quickly.

“Just until tomorrow. This last year of Argus training is definitely the toughest yet. December can’t come soon enough. I’m ready to be an agent and be out in the field helping others. “

“I’m sure. It must be great knowing that something you’ve worked for for so long is finally within reach.”

“It is but it’s also frustrating having to wait” JJ changes the subject, “enough about me, what about you?”

“Well, I’m just about done with high school. I graduate next month. This year I’ve mostly been taking college classes though so with all the credits I already have, I should be done with college in two years.”

“Wow I’m so proud of you” he beams, “listen I just want to say I’m sorry we’ve lost touch a little since I joined Argus Academy. I mean I’ve only even been back to visit my parents a couple of times. So, my birthday present to you this year is to be better at staying in touch.”

She laughs a little, “okay I’m going to hold you to it.”

“You better,” he grins and Ari swears her heart may stop.

JJ looks over and sees other guests approaching. “Well it looks like you’re very popular today as you should be. I’m gonna go catch up with my parents. Talk to you later?”

“Of course,” she confirms.

JJ leans in for another quick hug before walking away. A pang of pain washes over her as she watches him stride away. She sighs wishing that he could see her as something other than the child he grew up with, something other than the four-year and six-month age gap between them. She shakes her head in disappointment knowing full well that may never happen.

Thankfully her thoughts are interrupted by Kara who is toting her one-year-old baby girl Eliza.

“Happy birthday!” She exclaims, “I have a feeling great things are in store for you this year.”

Ari grins, “I sure hope you’re right.”

Mon-El comes racing toward them chasing after their three-year-old son Alec. Alura, Kara and Mon-El’s oldest, follows closely behind them.

“Happy birthday!” both Mon-El and Alura say together.

“Thank you guys!” Alura runs up to Ari and gives her a huge hug. Her little five-year-old arms wrap as far around Ari’s legs as they can reach. Her eyes are so blue and she’s the spitting image of Kara.

“When are you coming to visit us again on our earth?” She asks, “I miss you.”

Ari scoops her up, “I miss you too and I’ll come visit as soon as I can” she vows.

“Yay!” she exclaims and hugs Ari again before wiggling out of her arms to go play with Sara and Ava’s seven-year-old daughter Quinn.

As her party continues on, Ari can’t help but be astounded and thankful for the sheer amount of loved ones that came to her party. Thea and Roy and their two boys Thomas and Jonas. John, Lyla, JJ, and Sara Diggle. Barry, Iris, and Nora Allen. Caitlin and her son Ronnie. Cisco. Sara, Ava, and Quinn. Kara and her family. Pretty much all of the Legends. Not to mention all of Ari’s best friends are in attendance. And last, but definitely not least, her beloved parents and brother William. She could not have asked for a better day or party.

No matter how many guests talk to her, though, or how many family members surround her, she can’t get her wish out of her head. She knows if she wants that dream to become a reality, it’s time for her to do something about it. She makes a beeline for Sara.

“We need to talk,” Ari states as she grabs Sara’s arm and drags her into an empty room.

“...okay? What’s going on?” Sara asks.

“I need to ask you something. It’s something I’ve wanted for so long but have never had the courage to ask for. But today it’s time. I can feel it in my bones.”

“What is it Ari? It’s not often you ask for something.”

Ari takes in a shaky breath and then says with determination, “I want you to train me. I need you to teach me to fight.”

Sara mulls it over for a moment, “Ari I don’t know...” she hesitates, “what about your father? Isn’t this something you should learn from him?”

“No” Ari argues, “you know my dad. You know he only wants to keep me safe and what I want to do is anything but safe.”

“I don’t know Ari. If your dad finds out it will not end well for any of us.”

“Since when has that ever stopped you? Please Sara” Ari pleads, “it’s like there’s this light inside of me. It’s guiding me, leading me with incredible undeniable power. It’s a pull to save people, to fight, to make a difference. No matter how hard I try to fight it, and trust me I’ve tried for years now, I just can’t snuff it out and I can’t make it go away. And every day I ignore it, every day I don’t fight, or save someone, or make a difference, the urge only grows. I’ve waited for this and wished for this for far too long and I’m sick and tired of waiting for someday. I know this is what I was born for and I know you are the person who is meant to lead my way so please... please help me make it a reality.” Sara thinks about it for several minutes but to Ari it’s an eternity.

The corner of Sara’s mouth then turns into a small smile before saying, “tomorrow, 6 AM, my house. We’ll see how much fight you really have in you.”

It’s ten after nine and the party goers have all gone home. All that’s left in the house is Ari and her parents. As Ari is lounging on the couch trying to soak in the events of the day, her parents walk toward her hand in hand. Her mother is holding a lavender colored gift with a light blue bow.

“We have one final gift for you,” Felicity says with a smile.

“Best one of the night we hope,” her dad chimes in.

Ari quickly opens the package and is rewarded with a small rubber shaped dolphin, her favorite animal, that has a crack through the middle. She opens the dolphin only to find a USB plug.

“A flash drive?” She asks in confusion. Her parents both laugh.

“It’s what’s on the flash drive that matters” Felicity states, “we wanted to wait until you turned eighteen to give this to you, but I’ve been working on it for about a week and got too excited and couldn’t wait.”

Felicity walks over to the TV, gets everything set up, and then joins them on the couch. After a few moments of nothing happening Felicity sighs as she prepares to get up and start troubleshooting.

Before Felicity can move, Ari grabs her arm to stop her. “Please mom. Can I do it? It’s my birthday. Can I use my powers for fun just once?”

Felicity sighs but ultimately gives in, “fine just for today. It is your birthday after all.”

Ari is just about to work her magic and play the video on the flash drive when Oliver interrupts. “Wait before we get started I just want to say this is only a snippet of a lifetime. The official show will still happen when you turn eighteen. This is just a preview. Speaking of memories, all this talk about powers has me thinking of the day you learned about yours.”

“Ah yes that was quite a day,” Felicity reminisces.

"It sure was,” he agrees.

<\--------------<<

Nine-year-old Ari sits at her desk in the corner of computer room. It’s shorter and smaller than her mom’s desk but she loves it. It makes her feel special to have a place all her own right next to her mom. She’s diligently working on a digital model of a computer she’s been designing as her mom works on yet another project for Smoak Tech. She pushes her long blonde hair put of her way. She doesn’t have time for it right now. Ari grunts in aggravation. The program she’s using is just not cooperating and she’s getting more frustrated by the second.

 _I just want to show that this part would be smaller_ , she growls in her head.

On instinct, she reaches her hand to the computer screen and makes a pinching action. To her great surprise, the part on her screen does exactly as she wanted and she didn’t even push a button. Ari leans back in confusion but then shrugs and tries it again with the same result.

She turns to look at her mom who is in deep concentration. She debates on whether or not to disturb her.

“Um mom?” she asks quietly.

“What is it sweetie?” Felicity questions distractedly.

“There’s something weird going on.”

“What’s that honey?” Felicity asks still lost in her project.

Her child finally begins losing patience “Look!” Ari exclaims loudly enough to pull her mom to reality.

Felicity leans over in time to see her daughter move the objects on her computer just by waving her hand. “How are you doing that?”

“I really don’t know. I was just wishing a part could be smaller so I put my hand out and it started moving on its own. What’s going on mom?” she asks slightly worried.

“I’m not sure but I know just who to call.” Felicity dials Barry’s number in a flash. If anyone will know what is happening, it will be him. “Barry I need you here now something is happening with Ari and you may be the only one who can help.”

Just like that a red blur flies into the room and Barry appears. “What’s going on?” he asks.

“Ari show Barry what you just showed me,” Felicity instructs.

Ari does as her mom asks. Barry and Felicity just glance at each other knowingly.

“I’m going to take her to Star Labs now and have Cisco and Caitlin look at her. Find Oliver and I’ll be back soon,” Barry says.

Felicity nods then kneels down in front of the daughter, “Ari, Barry is going to take you and help us figure out what’s going on. Your dad and I will be there soon I promise. Do exactly as they tell you okay?”

“Okay mom I will.”

Felicity hugs her little girl, “I love you baby.”

“I love you too,” Arianna responds. Barry scoops Ari up and in an instant they are gone.

It’s two hours later before Barry is back to pick Oliver and Felicity up.

“What’s going on?” Oliver demands. “We’ll explain what our team knows once with get to Central City.” Barry blurs them quickly away.

They end up in a small room where Caitlin and Cisco are both waiting.

“Where is she?” Felicity asks.

“With Iris. You can see her in a minute,” Caitlin explains.

“What’s the verdict?” Oliver questions, “Is she a meta?”

“We believe she is” Cisco confirms, “a technopath to be specific.”

“But where did she get these powers?” Felicity wonders, “and why are they just showing up now?”

“Our only guess is that she got her powers the day you were struck by Surge when you were pregnant,” Barry speculates.

Caitlin continues, “and we think they are showing up now in response to the hormonal changes that must be starting to take place in her body.”

“So you’re saying not only does my daughter have powers, but she’s also starting puberty?” Oliver asks incredulously as his voice raises about eight octaves.

Caitlin laughs at that, “pre-puberty at least. Girls’ hormones start changing a lot around this time.”

Oliver turns to Felicity, “what are we going to do?”

“We’re going to talk to our daughter,” she says matter-of-factly.

Ari stares intently at the door she knows her parents will be coming out of at any second. She tries in vain to process everything that just happened. Cisco made her try a bunch of things with a computer. All of which she did with ease. Then Caitlin scanned her entire body and then took blood from her arm. She unconsciously starts rubbing the sore area where the needle was.

The door opens just then and her parents stride toward her.

“Is it true?” she demands the second they are within earshot, “do I have powers? Am I a Meta?” Her parents reach her just as she finishes the question.

“It’s true” her mom says, “you’re a technopath.”

A huge smile spreads across Ari’s face, “this is amazing!” she exclaims, “now I can help save people and be a hero just like you guys!”

Oliver stops her, “wait, wait, wait, not exactly.”

Ari's face falls, “what do you mean not exactly?”

Oliver clears his throat and tries his best to explain, “Ari just because you have powers, doesn’t automatically make you a hero. You have to work very hard to become one.”

“So I can’t be a hero?” she asks sadly.

Felicity gets down to her level puts one hand on each of Ari’s knees and squeezes them gently. “Not exactly honey. Right now, we want you to use them just enough learn to control them.”

“But we also need you to keep them a secret” Oliver goes on, “we want you to be safe and that is the only way we know how to keep a child as special as you safe.”

“And someday when you are old enough, you can make the choice then whether or not to become a hero.”

“So I can’t tell anyone, I can only use my powers to control them, and I can’t be a hero?” Arianna asks in defeat.

“Unfortunately, yes. This is the best solution your father and I can come up with for right now.”

“Do you think you can live with that for the time being?” Oliver asks.

Ari contemplates for a long time. This is definitely not the news she wanted to hear. She wanted so badly to be just like her parents and use her powers for good. Now, she must face reality and do what is expected of her.

 _Can I do that?_ she asks herself.

Slowly she nods as an answer to her parents. She isn’t sure if she’ll actually be able to give up her dream but for her parents, the two people she loves most in the world, she knows she will try her very best.

>>\------------>

“You’ve sure come a long way kiddo,” Oliver says with pride as the memory fades away.

“Yeah I definitely have" Ari agrees, "now if you’re done stalling, can I play the video?”

“I was not stalling,” he argues defensively.

“Yeah he was” Felicity confirms, “he’s trying to think of ways to keep himself from crying when he watches this video.”

“Hey!” Oliver fakes outrage “you’re not supposed to give away my secret!”

“Sorry honey,” Felicity halfheartedly apologizes as she kisses him.

“Ugh guys! Will you get a room?” Ari groans, “okay I’m playing it.”

She points to the TV and instantly the acoustic version of the song _Fly_ by Meadowlark begins playing. Clips of the best moments of her life flash across the screen. Lying in the arms of her parents while her brother smiles down at them on the day she was born. Coming home from the hospital. Being rocked and sung to by her mom. Her father bouncing her and her laughing. Her first words. Her first steps. Playing with her big brother and parents. Sitting at a computer next to Felicity. Riding on Oliver’s shoulders. Moments with Cisco, Caitlin, Iris, Barry and Nora in Central City. Her first day of kindergarten. Learning archery from her father. Walking and laughing with JJ, Sara, John, and Lyla. Flying for the first time with Kara. Her and her mom and grandma Donna watching their favorite movies and acting out the scenes. Fake fighting with Sara and Ava. A trip to the ocean with her family. Shopping with her aunt Thea while her cousins look like they are being tortured. Discovering her powers and learning to use them. Her first day of middle school. Archery competitions. Academic awards. Summer camp in Central City with other metahuman kids. Her first day of high school. Working on Smoak Tech projects along with her mother and brother. Leaning against her dad’s shoulder on one of their many ice cream runs. Hanging out with her best friends JJ and Sophie. Her first mission in the bunker as Overwatch Junior. Spending time with her parents’ friends and all their kids. Helping her brother with some of his patients at the hospital. Sitting on her bed surrounded by books.

She realizes her mother must have just finished working on this video moments ago because the last scene that comes into focus as the music fades away is one from today. It’s her blowing out her seventeen birthday candles with a big smile on her face.

They all sit in silence for a second and her parents silently dry their tears.

“I’m overwhelmed,” is all Arianna can muster for a moment as she wipes away her own tears. She takes a few minutes to compose herself before saying, “wow, all I really can say is thank you two, and not just for this PowerPoint. You have given me a phenomenal life filled with fantastic memories and the most incredible people. You have taught me so many things and given me as much love as a lot of people get in an entire lifetime. You guys have truly given me everything and I love you so much.” She embraces them both so tightly while whispering “thank you” once more.

“You’re welcome baby,” her mom croaks.

“And thank you too because you’ve given us everything and so much more,” Oliver says through his own tears as he embraces his family as tightly as he can.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay in posting this chapter guys. I had surgery and was taking time to properly recover. Just a note about this chapter, I know practically nothing about archery. The information I've gathered is just from a few google searches so I am very sorry if there is misinformation. With that being said, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Ari focuses straight ahead at her target. She allows the rest of the world to fade around her. A national archery competition is not the place to lose concentration. It's a good thing she's always performed well under pressure. She draws her bow back for her final shot. She aims and takes a large breath in and then out. She lets her final arrow fly. As soon as it leaves her hand, she knows it will hit the target perfectly.

Cheers erupt around her and she knows her aim was true. She smiles widely and stares into the crowd until she spots the proud and happy faces of her family and friends. So many of her loved ones made the trip to support her. Her mom, dad, William, John, Lyla, Thea, Grandma Donna, and even her friend Sophie was allowed to join them on the long journey. She laughs a little when she sees them all jumping up and down and giving each other congratulatory hugs. She also knows she has a lot of virtual support. Those members of her loved ones who could not make it are no doubt watching the stream online.

She feels a soft tug on her arm as she is guided out of the arena by a volunteer. Once on the sidelines, she is embraced by her parents first.

"We are so proud of you," they say simultaneously.

"Thank you! As soon as that last one left my hand, I knew it was going to be the best one of the day."

ArI receives a surprise. As her loved ones begin to congratulate her, JJ appears from behind his father.

“JJ what are you doing here?” She excitedly questions.

“I promised I'd be around more didn’t I? and I keep my promises" he says sincerely, "besides how could I possibly miss this? It's such a huge moment in your life.”

“Well I'm very glad you came,” she replies happily.

The rest of her family takes turns hugging her. While embracing her final family member, she feels a small tap on her left shoulder. She turns to face the owner and sees a middle-aged brown-haired woman with her hair back and a clipboard in hand.

"Excuse me Miss Queen. My name is Jill. I was wondering if you would have a few moments for an interview with Sports Illustrated?"

"Are you serious?" Ari asks incredulously.

The lady smiles, "yes if that is okay with you and your parents.”

Ari turns to them for permission and they nod in confirmation.

“Follow me then please.”  
  


She is led to a small room with two chairs, lights and microphones all around, and a few cameras. They give her quick instructions of where to look and have her sit in the chair opposite the interviewer.

"Okay I'm going to get right to it" the interviewer states, "if you are to win today it will be your fifth consecutive national title is that correct?"

"Yes. I won my first national title at age thirteen. Also starting at age ten I won my first state title and have won it every year since."

"You’re seventeen correct? That's very impressive for someone of your age.”

Arianna smiles widely, "thank you it's been a long road to get here and no matter the outcome of today's event, I am very proud of how far I have come."

Jill continues on, "I've heard through the rumor mill that you have been asked to be recruited for the Olympics. Is this true?”

Ari nods in confirmation, “I have been approached a few times actually but I decided against it. In life, I think you just have to find what you are called to do and what is right for you. For me, though it would be an absolutely incredible honor, the Olympics just didn't seem like the right path for me. I know I ultimately have to listen to my heart about such a huge decision.”

"I think you are very right about that. Just a couple more questions. I know they are about to announce the winner in just a matter of moments."

“Okay shoot,” Ari urges her forward.

“Do you remember that first day you really knew you wanted to do archery? What drew you to it?”

“Yes actually I remember it very vividly…" at the mention of that day, Ari is whisked to the past.

<\--------------<<

Ari sighs as she absentmindedly plays with her food at the dinner table. Her mom, the only other person in the house at the moment, is working on her plate as well. Felicity glances up at her daughter and can't help but notice something seems off with the eight-year-old.

Felicity puts down her fork before asking, "what's wrong honey? You've hardly touched your food. I know my cooking isn't great but you usually love the mashed potatoes I make.”

Arianna sighs and places her fork down as well but doesn't lift her eyes from her plate, “Just something a couple of the boys said at school today.”

“What was it? What did they say?” Felicity asks as she moves to sit in the chair next to Ari.

“They were talking about a new sport they started. The more they talked about it, the more I wanted to hear about it, and the more interested I got. So when I finally got up and decided to ask them about it, they told me it's not for girls and that I'm too tiny and too weak and I'd never be able to do it, "she admits defeat.

“And what do you think? Do you think they're right?” Felicity questions.

“I don’t know. I really hope they’re wrong. All I know is this is something I really want to do.”

Felicity caresses her daughter’s cheek in encouragement, "well if I know you, and you know I do, then I know without a shadow of a doubt that you can do whatever it is you set your mind to.”

Ari leans into her mom’s hand, “thank you mom. I sure hope you’re right.”

Felicity pulls her hand down and places it into her lap, “so what is the sport?” she asks.

“Archery” Ari answers with a little grin.

Felicity doesn't know whether to laugh or gasp. She takes a moment to get over the shock, then mumbles “of course it’s archery. What else would I expect?”

“So do you think it’s something I can do?” Ari quietly asks.

“I personally think so, but this is a question you need to ask your dad about too.”

The growing smile on Ari’s face suddenly is replaced with a frown “and what do you think he’ll say?”

Felicity laughs at that, “honestly your guess is as good as mine but lucky for you, he will be home in just a few minutes. Just please don’t bombard him the second he walks through the door. Give him some time to get settled first okay?”

“I think I can manage that” Ari responds.

Her dad has been home for twenty minutes. All of which Ari has been watching him like a hawk, abiding her time and waiting for the perfect moment to ask him her very important question. Just as Oliver is dishing up his food, Ari gets an idea to sit with him while he eats.

“Hey dad I already ate but would you mind if I sat with you while you eat your supper so you aren’t lonely?”

He smiles widely with that smile that is only reserved for her mom and her. “Of course honey that would be wonderful.”

Felicity joins them and they all start talking about their days with one another.

Much to Ari’s surprise, felicity breaches the subject first. "So your daughter had some not-so-nice boys say some not-so-nice things to her today."

Oliver's hands instantly tighten around his silverware as he practically growls, "what?"

"They were taking about a new sport they are trying” Ari explains, “and then I came over to say I wanted to try it. That's when they told me it's not for girls and that I'm too weak and small.”

Oliver takes a deep breath to calm himself before gently tanking his daughter’s hands in his.

“Hey I want you to know something” he says softly, “you are not too small or too weak to do anything and there's no such thing as a boy’s sport you hear me?”

"Yes I do. So, you'll let me try this new sport?” She practically begs.

“What is it?”

“It’s archery” she answers.

Shock, pride, and fear wash over Oliver in an instant. Could he let his baby girl learn archery? Something that has caused him both so much pain and joy throughout his life. He looks at his daughter’s big blue puppy-dog eyes at a loss for what to do.

As if Ari senses his internal war, she pushes a little harder. “Please dad. I really want to do it. And not just to stick it to those boys, but because I'm really interested in it and it just seems like the perfect sport for me. It's almost like it’s calling to me.”

His resolve wavers. He can feel how much she wants this and for some reason, he can't deny her. “Okay you can do archery” he says, “but there is a very important something your mom and I need to show you first.”

Felicity’s eyes whip to his, “Oliver are you sure this is the right time? Do you think she's ready?”

“I know she is. This is the perfect time” he says positively. He turns to Ari, “after supper we will go so run grab your coat it's a little chilly out there.”

She gets up quickly but hugs both her parents first saying, “thank you mommy and daddy” then she practically sprints upstairs.

“Where are you guys taking me?” Ari asks. She is blindfolded and her parents each have a hold of her hands.

“We aren’t telling. You'll just have to wait and see,” Felicity tells her.

“I hate mysteries the bug me. They need to be solved,” Ari pouts.

“Who does that remind you of?” Oliver asks Felicity who rolls her eyes. Ari hears the ding of an elevator. She is moved a few steps before she hears the doors close and feels the elevator moving down. They walk another 22 steps after the elevator stops and the doors open.

“Before we take off this blindfold, we want to ask you a question. Who are your favorite superheroes?”

The question catches Arianna off guard, “come on guys, you already know the answer.”

“Just humor us please,” her dad says.

“The Green Arrow and Overwatch,” she answers.

“Okay good that's what we thought. Now what we are about to show you needs to stay hidden. Do you understand? No one can know about this,” Felicity states seriously.

“Okay I can keep a secret.”

“We’re very serious about this Arianna. You need to promise us,” Oliver urges.

“Okay I promise. I will never tell a soul what I see here today,” Ari vows.

Oliver continues on, “Okay good because it would be very dangerous if someone ever knew this secret.”

Ari tries to hide her slight irritation, “I understand now can you please take this thing off?” Oliver and Felicity chuckle at their daughter’s impatience.

The blindfold is removed and Ari takes in her surroundings. In front of her is a white and silver rounded platform with rounded computer desks. What surprises her the most are the green lights that decorate the entire room. On either side of her, she sees rows and rows of all different types of weapons. This only confuses her more until she looks directly across from her and sees several glass cases that are lit up green with silver mannequins in them.

She stops in her tracks. She would recognize those outfits anywhere. Those are the suits of her favorite superheroes all lined up in a row. They are real and they are right in front of her. She walks slowly towards the suits trying in vain to process what she is seeing. She stops when she is directly in front of the Green Arrow suit.

“This is..." she points to the Green Arrow suit and then to the others, “those are..." That's when reality hits her. "You guys are the Arrow and Overwatch aren’t you?" she whispers as if raising her voice would make it untrue.

“Yes we are,” they confirm together.

She turns around to face them. She sees them in an entirely new light. Not just as the faces of her parents that she loves so much, but as the heroes that she has spent her whole life looking up to. She runs towards them and hugs them with everything she has.

“I don’t believe it. My parents are my heroes. It doesn't get better than this.”

“So you're okay with this?” Felicity asks slightly shocked.

Ari releases them and steps back to see them better, “Of course! This is everything I could have wished for and so much more. But wait, why would you tell me now?”

“First of all, we wanted to tell you sooner but it never seemed like the right time" Oliver clarifies, "and we told you now because if you're going to learn archery, I can't very well keep that fact that I am an archer to myself. Even if you choose another teacher, you'd still figure it out very quickly.”

“That's right I am clever like mom.”

“You sure are,” Oliver says with certainty.

“You were right to keep it from me. I can sort of be a blabbermouth but I promise your secret is safe with me. But wait, let me get this straight, the best archer in the city is going to tech me archery?”

Oliver hesitates, “if that is something that you want.”

Ari practically glows, “of course it's what I want.”

“Then I think it time for us to get you a bow,” He grabs both Ari and Felicity’s hands and leads them out of the bunker with a giant smile on his face.

>>\------------>

The sound of her name pulls her back to the present. She knows someone asked her a question, but she can’t remember what they said.

“I'm sorry what?” She asks apologetically, “I was just lost in a memory for a second.”

The interviewer laughs, “I asked if you remembered the day you wanted to do archery.”

"Oh yes! I was eight years old and some boys in my class were bragging about archery. It stirred my interest so I went over and started asking questions about it. They started teasing me and telling me it wasn't for girls. Well I have a little bit of a stubborn streak and when someone tells me I can't do something, it just makes me want to do it that much more. So that night I went home and talked to my parents and it's been one crazy and amazing journey since then.”

“That's a great story. We have time for one more question. What sort of advice would you give all the future archers out there?”

Ari contemplates for a moment, “The biggest piece of advice I could give, and this could apply to anyone out there not just archers, is to find something you are passionate about. Something that you truly love and stick to it. Even if you keep failing, even if you end up not being the best, you never give up on it and you give it everything you have. What I've found is that being truly great doesn't come naturally. It's how much you persevere, how much you struggle, and how many times you get back up and keep going that truly makes a person great. And it doesn't matter if you end up becoming an Olympic gold medalist or if you never win one prize. What truly matters in the end is your happiness and your own personal progress.”

Jill wraps everything up and then gives Ari a few more details before sending her on her way. Just as Ari leaves the small room, an announcement is made that all contestants are needed back into the arena for the awards ceremony. Ari follows the crowd into the arena and finds a seat with the rest of her team.

The awards ceremony begins. Ari does her best to focus but fails. Award ceremonies always make her nervous so she tends to zone out in an attempt to calm herself down.

She is brought back to attention when hears, "this year’s USA Archery National Indoor Junior Champion is Miss Arianna Smoak-Queen."

The crowd erupts with applause and Ari swears she can hear her family's screams over all the other crowd members. She walks up on stage, collects her trophy, shakes a few hands, and is prompted to pose for pictures. All the while she can't contain the pride she feels inside her. She just won a national competition after all.

Once off stage, she quickly finds her family and is rewarded with a big group hug from all her loved ones.

"We know we said this earlier," her mom begins.

"but we are so proud of you" Oliver continues.

"I knew you would do it," John beams.

"You were amazing," Thea says with pride.

They all take turns hugging and congratulating her once again.

“How does celebratory supper and ice cream sound?” Oliver asks.

“Sounds like a perfect idea,” Arianna gleams.

With that, she leads her loved ones out of the arena and off to celebrate her victory in the best way imaginable.


	11. Chapter 11

A loud thud echoes throughout the otherwise quiet bunker as Arianna slams into the ground.

"Lesson of the day" Sara says, "never let your enemy catch you off guard. You should always be anticipating their next movement."

Ari sighs as she picks herself up from the ground. They have been sparring roughly an hour and this is only the twelfth time Ari has been knocked to the ground. Progress has definitely been made since her very first sparring session with Sara.

She positions herself in a proper sparring stance and prepares for another battle. Just as she is about to throw her first punch, something hits her in the side of her back. Pain instantly shoots up her whole right side.

"Ow! What the frack?!" she exclaims. She looks at the ground to see a small bright green ball rolling around.

"Lesson number two always be aware of your surroundings," Sara continues.

Ari's eyes roam the bunker for a second before she catches a glimpse of a gun hidden in the corner.

"Did you really just hide a gun so you could catch me off guard and shoot me?" Ari questions.

"For one, it's an airsoft gun" Sara defends herself, "and two I purposely placed it far enough away that it wouldn't do any major damage."

"What the heck Sara!" Ari yells.

"What?" Sara asks with arms raised in surrender, "it's a lesson you need to learn. At least it wasn't an arrow."

That stops Ari in her tracks, "what?"

"Your dad used to teach that lesson by actually shooting people with rigged arrows."

There's a moment of complete shocked silence before Ari bursts out laughing.

"Are you serious?" she chuckles, "that's hilarious! I'm sure he had a lot of people good and mad at him."

"You're right about that" Sara says with a smile, "are you ready to go again?"

Ari hesitates, "actually do you think we could take a quick break? Normally I'd have no problem with continuing but this is the first time we've used the power dampeners and it's making me really tired and weak."

Sara shrugs, "I suppose we can take a small break. I need to call my mom and make sure Quinn is up and getting ready for school anyway since Ava is out of town for work."

"I'm sorry I'm keeping you from her," Ari apologizes.

Sara dismissively waves her hand, "it's okay. It's good for Quinn to spend some time with her grandma. It's good for my mom too. I really hope she's behaving herself..." she trails off.

Ari smirks, "She's your kid. Do you really think she's behaving herself?"

"You make a good point," Sara states as she quickly dials her mom's number.

During Sara’s phone call, Ari takes the opportunity to get a drink and rest a little. She grabs her water bottle and takes a seat at the computer desk. She can't help but overhear Sara's conversation and she smiles widely at it.

"Hey mom. How's it going? Is Quinn up?" There is a slight pause as Dinah puts Quinn on the line. Sara's voice suddenly changes to a softer higher tone, "Quinn Dinah Lance are you awake yet?... okay well you need to go get ready for school it starts soon... don't forget your backpack and your sweater its chilly outside this morning... be good for grandma. I love you and I'll see you tonight." Quinn must've hung up the phone because Sara glances down at her phone and then looks away.

"It’s crazy to think you used to be a league of assassins member and now you're just sitting here with your gentle mom voice talking to your daughter," Arianna teases.

Sara rolls her eyes, "shut up. I know I've come a long way." She walks up the few stairs to join Ari on the platform. "You look so much like your mother sitting in that chair," she comments with a smile.

"Thank you. I have my own chair now though," Ari states as she points to the chair near the computers on the other end of the platform.

"Oh yeah. Don't your parents let you do some work on the comms now?" Sara asks.

"Yeah" Ari answers, "for almost four years now. I still remember the day I first got to be on comms so vividly..."

<\---------<<

"What are we doing down here in the bunker mom? You know how I feel about surprises," a thirteen-year-old Ari groans.

"This surprise is going to be a good one I hope," Felicity says and she leads Ari to the computer platform. She pulls her chair out from under the desks and pats it gently. "Now come here and have a seat."

Ari does as she is asked. She swivels the chair around and gives her mother a look of skepticism, "now will you tell me what's going on?"

To Ari's surprise Felicity pulls up a second chair and sits down next to her. Never in all the years she's has visited the bunker have there been two rolling chairs at the same computer desk.

"I brought you down here because your father and I have been talking a lot recently about this and we have finally come to a decision. Look, we know how much you want to help us with the whole hero thing. We only hear you talk about it all the time. And we know what you really want is to be out in the field using your powers and being a hero. Your father and I still feel that you are too young for that and we hold firm to our decision that you will not go out until you are eighteen and can make the choice for yourself. But we've decided on something as a sort of a compromise."

"and what is this compromise?"

"We both would like you to join me in the bunker every once in a while, and become like an Overwatch Junior. We know you're just starting high school and we believe you are now old enough and responsible enough to handle this" Felicity hesitates slightly, "that is, only if you want to..."

"Are you kidding?! Of course I want to! This is all I've ever wanted. Well, other than actually being out in the field."

Felicity smiles proudly, "well okay then. If you're ready, we were hoping you could start tonight."

"I most definitely am ready. Let's do this!"

Oliver and the rest of the team walk into view. They are all suited up and ready to go on their mission for the night. Oliver makes his way toward his girls with a small box in hand.

He turns to Felicity first and asks, "what did she say?"

"I said yes of course dad," Ari says happily.

Oliver proudly hands her the box which she quickly opens. Tears fill her eyes when she sees what the box holds.

"My own earpiece?" She chokes out.

Oliver and Felicity smile at each other and then at their daughter.

"Yes all for you," Felicity confirms.

"This can't be real," Ari whispers in awe. She hugs her parents tight then puts the shiny new earpiece in her left ear and has a seat next to her mom in her new chair.

"For this mission you have a direct link to me" Oliver instructs, "which means you are in charge of making sure I am at the right place at the right time. Your mother will take care of the rest of the team. Are you sure you can handle this?"

" Yes Dad. I've got your back I promise," Ari vows.

"Okay then it's time. I will see you both afterwards." Oliver says. He gives both Ari and Felicity’s shoulders a tight squeeze before leading the team out of the bunker.

Nearly twenty minutes later, the team is in position.

"We need to find the weapon before it ends up in the wrong hands," Oliver demands.

Ari pulls up a grid of the building and turns her attention to the green flashing dot that indicates the location of her father.

Ari gives her first command, "Green Arrow at the next corner you need to make a left."

Oliver makes it to the fork in the road and begins to make a left turn when he senses the presence of the enemy. He immediately retreats.

"Are you sure about that?" he hisses.

"Oh sorry! I meant right. It’s my left, your right" she apologizes, "there's a little bit of a learning curve here."

Oliver can't help but smile at the memory of him saying the exact same words to Felicity many years ago. He makes a right turn and sees the weapon a mere 20 feet away.

"Three men are on your tail so act quickly," Ari warns.

Oliver closes the 20-foot gap within seconds and retrieves the weapon. He spins 180 degrees and takes out the three men with ease. Ari helps him navigate out of the maze that is the building. He makes it safely back to his team. A dark van driven by Diggle comes to an abrupt stop directly in front of them. The back door flies open. Everyone jumps in the van and they speed off as if they were never there in the first place.

Oliver puts his hand to his earpiece and presses the button so both his daughter and his wife can hear him. "Congratulations Ari" he says proudly, "you just completed your first mission."

Cheers erupt all around.

>>\-------->

Ari finishes telling the story with a huge smile on her face.

"Wow. You know your parents are really great, don't you?" Sara half asks, "I mean they're just so supportive of your dreams and they try to make as many of them come true as they can. Even tough I’m sure all they really want to do is keep you safe. They sacrificed a portion of their desire to keep you safe and went against their parental instincts for your happiness. I can only hope to be like them someday when Quinn gets older."

"You will" Ari says positively, "I know you are already an amazing mother to her. I have no doubt that you will continue to be that great mother and you will make the sacrifices necessary for her as she grows up."

"Thanks kid" Sara smiles before gently punching Ari's shoulder, "now enough of this sentimental stuff. It's time to get back to it. Break's over."

Ari stands up with a small groan, "alright fine but this time I'm not going down so easily."

"I hope you're right. I'm getting awfully tired of beating you in five seconds or less," Sara teases and they walk side by side back to the mats to spar once again.


	12. Chapter 12

The warm afternoon sun of early June shines through Ari’s bedroom window. She turns her head toward it and closes her eyes letting the warmth calm her graduation day nerves. When she opens them again, she walks the few feet to close the gap between her and the body length mirror. She looks herself over one last time. The green dress she is wearing frames her body perfectly. It has tank top straps and falls just above her knee. Surprisingly, it makes her blue eyes pop. 

There is a faint knock at the door.

“Come in,” she answers to it.

She is greeted with the smiling face of her mother who is also wearing a green dress. Star City High School changed both their school color and mascot about ten years ago to honor the Green Arrow after he saved their city.

“Wow you look stunning” Felicity compliments with misty eyes, “Are you ready for today?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. You only graduate high school once after all. I just hope I don’t fall on my face walking across the stage…” Ari trails off.

“You’re going to do great” Oliver interrupts as he walks into the room with Ari’s cap and gown in hand, “you have more grace in your pinky toe than I do in my whole body and I made it across the stage at my graduation just fine. I know you will too.”

Ari smiles nervously, “thanks dad.”

Oliver hands his daughter her graduation attire. She takes the gown in her hands and quickly unfolds and unzips it. She puts it on and zips it into place before glancing at herself once more in the mirror. She feels her mom’s chin rest gently on her shoulder. When Ari takes a peak up at her, she is greeted with two teary blue eyes staring back into her own.

“I can’t believe my baby is graduating today. How is it possible?” Felicity wonders, “sometimes it’s hard to see how much you’ve grown. Today when I walked in, all I could see is the face of my beautiful baby and there’s this one specific memory that just keeps replaying in my head…”

<\-------<<

Felicity glances down at her watch as she quietly closes the front door of her home. It’s late. Just after 1:30 am. She’s exhausted but satisfied. She just finished her first big project for Smoak tech since she’s been back from maternity leave. She slowly climbs the staircase in search of the members of her family. Her body is heavy from a long day’s work.

She assumes Oliver is still out doing his Green Arrow duty so she expects Thea and her seven-month-old son Jonas to be waiting for her. Oliver’s difficulties with prison weren’t the only reason Thea came back to Star City early from her Lazarus pit quest. Her and Roy also came back after realizing she was pregnant. Ever since Felicity returned to work, Felicity and Oliver hired Thea to be a sort of nanny for Ari so both her and her cousin could grow up together.

Felicity reaches the top step, turns to the left, and enters the nursey. She is greeted with a surprise. Her husband standing over their three-month-old daughter’s crib humming softly.

“Hey” she whispers happily, “where’s Thea?”

Oliver turns so greet her with an equal grin, “I sent her home. I ended up coming home early from vigilante duty. I just missed Ari too much.” Felicity can’t help but be in awe of how much of an amazing father he is and how soft he has become with his daughter. “How was work? You must’ve been on a roll with something that’s the only time you’re gone this late”

“You know me too well. It was good. I finished my project so now I’m taking a few days off. This being away from Ari and our family thing is harder than I thought.”

“I know the feeling,” Oliver agrees.

Ari squeals a little, letting her mother know she is awake. Felicity leans down and gently scoops her up. She walks over to the rocking chair and has a seat. Oliver pulls up another chair so he can sit next to his girls. They both take a moment just to stare at their beautiful baby who is already falling asleep in her mother’s arms.

“Something happened to me at work today,” Felicity says.

Oliver takes his eyes off of Ari to look at Felicity, “Oh yeah? And what was it?”

“I had the radio on in my office today because it helps me stay motivated. I was having a really hard time concentrating today because of how much I missed Ari, you, and William. All of a sudden, this song came on. It was just one of those right song at the right time kind of moments. It got me thinking about how this was never the life I thought I would want you. Marriage and a family just never seemed like something I needed. But that’s only because I never could’ve dreamed of a life as great as the one I have been given. And then of course the lyrics, and the song, and the fact that my hormones are still kind of all over the place had me bawling like a baby in my office.”

Oliver laughs a little. He knows all about his wife’s hormonal imbalances. He asks, “do I get to hear this song?”

Felicity pulls up the song _What I Never Knew I Always Wanted_ by Carrie Underwood on her phone and presses play. Before she knows what she’s doing, she begins to sing the first verse directly to Oliver.

Never was the kind to think about dressing in white  
Wasn't waiting on a prince to come riding into my life  
Thought I was happy on my own  
'Til you came and proved me wrong

I finally found what I never knew I always wanted  
I couldn't see, I was blind 'til my eyes were opened  
I didn't know there was a hole  
Something missing in my soul  
'Til you filled it up with your love

Then Felicity turns her attention to her daughter and starts singing to her.

Never pictured myself singing lullabies  
Sitting in a rocking chair in the middle of the night  
In the quiet, in the dark  
You're stealing every bit of my heart with your daddy's eyes  
What a sweet surprise

And now I'm holdin' what I never knew I always wanted  
I couldn't see, I was blind 'til my eyes were opened  
I didn't know there was a hole  
Something missing in my soul  
'Til you filled it up, oh, with your love

Felicity spends the rest of the song singing to both Oliver and Ari. She also glances out the door and her mind wonders down the hall to her son’s room and she sings for him too.

Life has a way of showing you just what you need  
And who you were made to be, yeah

I finally found what I never knew I always wanted  
I couldn't see, I was blind 'til my eyes were opened  
I didn't know there was a hole  
Something missing in my soul  
'Til you filled it up with your love  
Yeah, you filled it up with your love, yeah

Never was the kind to think about dressing in white  
I never pictured myself singing lullabies

After the song ends, Oliver wipes away the few happy tears that escaped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. He takes a brief pause until he is sure is voice will not break before saying, “That is the perfect song, just like this life with you. Perfect.”

>>\------->

The song finishes playing in Ari’s head. Of course she knows it by heart. Her mom often played it for her when she was growing up.

She wipes a tear from the corner of her eye, “Mom you’ve gotta stop with these memories. They’re making me emotional and I’m going to ruin my makeup.”

Felicity also wipes her tears, “pretty sure mine’s already ruined. I don’t know why I even bothered wearing it. I knew I was going to be an emotional wreck all day.”

“I don’t know why you did either” Oliver chimes in, “you look beautiful without it.”

Felicity rolls her eyes, “yeah, yeah. You’re my husband you have to say that.”

“But it’s true,” Oliver argues and Felicity awards him with a grin.

Felicity changes the subject, “Are you nervous at all?”

“Not about the graduation. I think I’m more nervous about the new life that begins the second that diploma is placed in my hand. I’m afraid of the struggles I will face and all the decisions I will have to make. I’m afraid of letting you guys down a little too,” Ari admits.

Felicity’s face immediately softens, “we’re so proud of you. You know that right?”

“Yeah graduating after just turning seventeen less than two months ago” Oliver continues, “and you’re valedictorian and have several college classes under your belt. You’ve really accomplished so much already. But more than that, you’ve become an amazing young woman who is beautiful both inside and out.”

“No matter what you do in life we have complete and total confidence it will be nothing short of fantastic. So just take it easy and breathe a little” Felicity advises, “no matter what you do you will have setbacks and struggles and it will take a lot of work. Lucky for you, you’re are one of the most determined and hardest workers I have ever met. You get that from both of your parents.”

“And that will in of itself will take you to great places. So, don’t worry. You couldn’t let us down if you tried,” Oliver reassures her. With a growing smile, Ari nods at them.

William busts into the room looking very handsome in his tux, “come on little sis you’re going to be late!”

She playfully glares at him, “fine I’m coming, I’m coming.”

She walks arm in arm with her parents out of her room and into her future she is finally ready to face.


	13. Chapter 13

The heavy door closes loudly as Ari shuts herself and her brother into the meta chamber. A few years back, her parents cleared the very back corner of the bunker and made room for Cisco to build this chamber all for her. It's a place that allows her to practice her powers without fear of affecting the rest of the bunker. Before the chamber, she caused many unintended accidents. She shorted out computers and caused electrical failures. When she made a computer explode, her parents decided it was time to find a solution.

Across the chamber from her, William cracks his knuckles as if to challenge her.

"Let's do this little Sis," he smirks at her.

Recently she discovered she is able to project a current of electricity outside of her body. So far she has only been able to project to her palms. She’s hoping with practice she will be able to turn it into a defensive weapon by projecting the current off her hands onto her opponent.

Ari returns his smirk and raises her eyebrows, "are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Sure" he answers, "just don’t fry my brain please. I need that."

“Oh I wouldn't dream of doing that to my big important doctor brother,” she teases.

“Hey! This big important doctor brain has saved a lot of lives. Show some respect," he says in mock offense.

“Yeah, yeah” Ari says. She looks her brother over from head to toe and can’t help but start laughing. He’s wearing a tight black head to toe body suit. The suit is covered all over with randomly placed reflective dots.

“What's so funny?” William grumbles.

“I'm sorry. I just can't take you seriously when you're wearing that suit Cisco designed. I know it’s just for your protection but man, it really is some high-quality fashion,” she continues to tease.

“Isn't it just fabulous?” he bows with a smile, “just so you know, you are the only person I would look this stunning for.”

“I'm just so blessed. Now stop distracting me with all your beauty. I need to concentrate,” she scolds jokingly.

She closes her eyes and focuses on the cells in her body. She can feel the electric current coursing through each and every cell. She extracts some of the electricity from the cells and forces the current into her hands. She allows the electricity to settle in her hands for a moment so she can feel it. It's a very specific type of tingle that warms both her hands and up into her forearms. She wonders what this newfound power could look like. She's never been able to project it this strongly before. Curiosity overcomes her and she slowly opens her eyes. The sight in front of her is enchanting. There is a slight blue glow surrounding both of her hands. The electric current that she feels has the appearance of small purple lightning bolts dancing across her palms. She smiles a little at the beauty of it. 

Before she loses her grip of her power, she turns her hands over and pushes them and the electricity away from her body with force. The tiny lightning bolts surge from her hands but then dissipate only a few inches from her. She drops her arms is disappointment.

“Oh come on” she mumbles to herself, “all that work just for that.”

“Come on Sis. You can do better than that. Can't you?” William half urges and half taunts her from his spot across the room.

A small amount of anger flares up inside her. She clings to it hoping it will help her. She balls up her fists. Her hands feel empty now but ready to be filled again. She closes her eyes and channels the electricity again. It's easier to feel this time. She forces it into her hands and opens her eyes just long enough to aim. She shoves the current out of her with all of her might. The surge is a lot bigger and more powerful this time. It flies across the room in a matter of moments and slams into William. William is knocked on the ground. With horror, she realizes he isn't moving.

“William!” she screams as she runs as fast as her legs will carry her. She throws herself into the ground and begins shaking her brother. Through her fog of panic, she tries to remember all the emergency medical knowledge he thought her. She checks his pulse and is relieved to find his heart is still beating. His body still remains lifeless though. Before she can stop her mind, she is taken back to another time when her gift was more powerful than she could have ever imagined.

<\-------<<

Felicity is startled awake by flickering lights. She glances over at the clock only to find that it is on the fritz too. Judging by the heaviness of her eyelids, she would say it has to be past three am. Her eyes wonder the room trying to find the source of the electrical malfunction. Her gaze briefly stops upon Oliver’s empty side of the bed. He is currently working an overnight shift. She sighs wishing he was here.

Suddenly the feeling of dread washes over her and she sits up quickly. Her motherly instincts kick into high gear. She knows something is very wrong with her child. She gets out of bed and grabs her phone. She knows she may need it. She quickly makes it down the hall to her daughter's room. When she opens the door, she is surprised to see her daughter is missing. Panic and fear start bubbling up. She decides to check the kitchen next. Sometimes Ari gets hungry for a midnight snack and wonders downstairs.

Just as she begins to descend the stairs, she hears it. A noise that may be the worst thing she has ever heard. A sound that chills her bones and makes her nearly double over with pain and nausea. It's sound of her child complete agony. Adrenaline rushes through her and she takes the remaining stairs three at a time. For once, she wishes she had Barry's speed. As she's running, she screams for her husband before remembering he's gone for the night.

When she rounds the corner to the kitchen, she is greeted with a sight she never ever wanted to see. Her daughter sitting on the floor in the fetal position. She has her hands over her ears and she's rocking in hysteria. Every electric device that surrounds her has gone spastic.

She is crying harder than Felicity has ever seen and chanting, “it's too loud. It's too loud. Make it stop. Please, it's too loud.”

She’s in a such a panicked state, Felicity isn't even sure if she knows she’s there. That is, until Felicity takes a step toward her.

“Stop! No! Don’t come any closer” her daughter screams as she scoots further into the corner of the cabinets then continues rocking, “I can hear it. I can feel it. It's too loud. It's all too loud.”

In Felicity’s opinion, it takes two seconds too long for that genius brain of hers to figure out what is happening. Once she does, the realization makes her veins fill with ice. Her daughter can feel every technological device right now. Including her spinal implant.

“My implant. You can hear it?” Felicity questions softly more to herself than to Ari.

“I hear everything now. I can't make it stop. Please mom you have to make it stop” she pleads, “I can't take it anymore. It's too loud.” Ari tightens her grip on her ears and rolls her head. The amount of pain she’s in is tangible in the air.

In that moment, Felicity does the only thing she thinks may help. She unlocks her phone and dials Barry's number. After three rings, he answers. She tries her best to explain calmly while all of her instincts are screaming at her to panic. In a matter of moments, but what seems like an eternity to the two people waiting in pain, Barry appears. Within two seconds of entering the house, Barry has assessed the situation.

He grabs Ari, says a quick, “I'll be back,” and the two of them disappear.

Barry drops Ari off in a special room they had made up I case something like this ever happened to Ari. It is a small room, dimly lit with special purple lights that don’t emit electricity. It is simple and plain with only a bed, a couch, and bedside table for furniture. He sets Ari on the bed as gently as he can. She is still crying but she does not appear to be as distressed now that she is away from all forms of technology.

"I'm going to go get Caitlin and then your parents" he tells her. As expected, there is no response from her, only tears.

He picks Caitlin up and brings her to the safe room.

“Take care of her” Barry says, “I'm going to go get her mom.”

Caitlin nods before entering the room. The sound of the sobs that escape the room when she opens the door are so unbearable, Barry has to take a moment to compose himself before returning to Star City.

In less than two minutes, Barry is back in the Queen household. For a mother who knows how badly her child is hurting, it is two minutes too long.

"Where have you been?" Felicity interrogates Barry through her tears.

"I had to pick up Caitlin” he explains, “I knew you'd want someone to be in the room with her since you can't right now and I know how much Ari adores Caitlin."

"Okay" is about all Felicity can muster, "let's just go." In 48 seconds, they are in Central city at Star Labs.

Felicity keeps her attention on Barry just long enough to say, “track down Oliver. Let him know what happened. Get him here.”

“I will,” Barry vows and then he is gone again.

Felicity takes a second to orientate herself. In front of her is a large glass window. Through it she can see the small safe room the Flash team built just for Ari. Her eyes immediately focus on the two figures sitting on the bed. One figure belongs to Caitlin and the other to Ari. Caitlin sits with her arms wrapped tightly around Ari. She is trying her best to calm her by rocking her. There is a speaker in the room so she can hear her daughter’s awful crying.

Felicity has never felt so helpless, desperate, or frustrated in her entire life. All she wants is to comfort her child but she knows if she enters the room, all she will do is cause her daughter more pain. She presses both her hands to the glass wishing to be closer to her child. She tries to think of something, anything to could help her in the moment but her brain just will not work right.

"Ari I'm here baby" she chokes out. Her daughter just continues to cling to Caitlin and sob. Felicity wills her brain to think of something that could help. She knows she can't just sit by and do nothing. Then it comes to her and a glimmer of hope bubbles up. She knows there is only one thing that may work.

Before she even knows what she’s doing, she begins singing _Be Still_ by The Fray. This song has always been their song. Ari’s, Oliver's, and Felicity’s. They sang it to her ever since she was a baby anytime she was feeling bad, or hurt, or scared. Sometimes it was the only thing in the world that could calm her.

Slowly, so very slowly while she’s singing the song, her daughter’s hysterical tears turn to quiet sobs. Eventually they nearly stop altogether. When the song ends and the silence resumes, all that is left are a few sniffles from Ari. And soon even those stop. Finally, Ari looks up at Caitlin who wipes her tears from her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Caitlin asks her.

“No” she croaks, “but I'm a little better thanks to my song.”

Caitlin holds Ari for a few more minutes until Ari calms down even more.

Though she loves Caitlin, Arianna feels so empty right now and just aches for her mother’s arms. She musters up the strength to get off the bed and walks to glass wall. She places her hand on the glass where her mother’s hand rests. The cold glass only makes her yearn for her mother’s warmth even more.

“I want so badly for you to be in here right now, but I just can't” she says as a few new tears escape her eyes, “it's too much right now.”

“It’s okay baby. I'm still right here and I'm not going anywhere.”

All Ari can do is nod. Her eyes are so heavy and exhaustion takes over her body.

“I'm so tired Mama” she says.

“Then go lay down and rest. I'll be right here,” Felicity reassures her.

Ari walks over to the bed but doesn't lay down. Instead she grabs a blanket and pillow. She ignores the confused looks she is getting from Caitlin. She just needs to be close to her mom. She lays the pillow and blanket on the floor directly in front of Felicity then presses her hand to the glass once more. In unison her and her mom slide to the ground. While Ari curls up in the blanket, she does not take her hand away from her mother's for even a second. She hears a few footsteps and then feels Caitlin lie down beside her. She keeps her hand on her mom’s until it and her eyes become too heavy and she drifts off to sleep.

Felicity wipes her silent tears from her eyes. She doesn't want to wake her daughter with her cries. Felicity has never felt more hopeless or helpless in all her years of life. A warm breeze sweeps through the room and she turns around. She is greeted with the serious faces of her husband and Barry. Once Barry sees that Ari is sleeping, he presses the mute button on the speaker.

"Oh baby" is all Oliver says before helping his wife up, wrapping her in his arms, and letting her sob into his chest.

After they both have shed every tear they have, Felicity looks up at Oliver and says "go be with her. She needs her father."

"Will you be okay?" he asks.

"This isn't about me" she states, "I won't be okay without her or you but I'll make it through."

Oliver nods then kisses her forehead before entering the room. He walks over to his daughter and Caitlin. He picks Ari up puts her in the bed. Then he curls up next to her. Instinctively she must know it’s him because she instantly relaxes. This in turn relaxes him enough to drift off to sleep.

Caitlin closes the door quietly behind her just before she is bombarded by Felicity.

"Take my implant out," she demands.

"Felicity as much as I want to, that is a major surgery. I don't have the right equipment here and, to be honest, I don't feel comfortable performing that type of operation."

"Please Caitlin” Felicity begs, “that's my daughter in there and she needs me right now. I need to do everything in my power to be there for her. I can't just sit by and watch while she suffers.”

Caitlin gets an idea, "let me call Cisco. Though I can't take it out, I think between our three brilliant minds we may be able to figure it out.”

An hour later, they are successful. Felicity's bio-stimulant is deactivated and she is paralyzed again. Felicity never thought she could be so happy to be paralyzed again but she also never thought she could be this desperate. She wheels herself into the safe room and gently wakes Oliver. He picks her up, places her on the bed, then lies back down on the opposite side so Ari is safe in the middle. They both put their arms around their daughter who sighs in contentment. Felicity falls asleep quickly knowing her daughter is right where she’s supposed to be; in her parents’ arms.

The next morning Oliver, Felicity, Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco all have a meeting before Ari wakes up.

"What is happening to our daughter?" Oliver questions.

"Caitlin and I have been talking" Cisco answers, "and we believe we may have been wrong about Ari. She's not a technopath. She’s an electropath."

"And what exactly does that mean?" Felicity asks.

"It means not only can she bend technology to her will, she can also sense anything that has electricity. Maybe someday she will even be able to control any electric current she wants to," Caitlin explains.

"Okay that's nice and all but that doesn't really explain what just happened," Oliver states.

Cisco responds, "she’s eleven now right? And my guess is she going through a large growth spurt at the moment," Felicity and Oliver both nod, "so since her body and mind are growing at an accelerated rate so are her powers. Right now, they are growing so fast she lost the ability to control them and they basically overloaded her system. It’s amazing really, she was hearing every little thing at had electricity in it. That's why it was so loud for her. Think about how many things in the average household that use electricity."

"So how do we fix this? What's the solution?" Felicity wonders.

Barry chimes in, "we start by gradually introducing electric devices back into her vicinity so she can learn how to dampen their hold over her."

Caitlin continues, "then with time we should be able to get her back into the real world. It isn't going to be easy though, but she is your child so we know she has the strength inside her to do this."

Barry tells them the plan, "today we'll start simple first with a clock, then a lamp, and maybe even a fan if she’s ready. Those devices use the least electricity. Eventually we'll work up to a TV, phone, and computers.”

“When we were trying to turn off your bio-stimulant in your spine, I took the liberty of testing how much power it emits" Cisco informs them, "I found it to be about the same level as a large computer. I think once we get to the level of higher powered items, we will introduce Felicity first. We think Ari will have a more positive reaction to you than anything else. Does this sound good to you guys?"

"Sounds about as good a plan as any" Oliver confirms.

Everyone in the room turns toward the glass walls when they hear Ari stirring.

"Duty calls" Felicity says and her husband wheels her back into the safe room to be with their daughter.

>>\------>

Ari pulls her mind out of her memory and shakes her brother harder.

"William!" she yells, "you've gotta get up. Please get up!"

Suddenly he begins moving. Ari sighs with relief. His eyes open and he coughs a few times.

"Man, you can pack a good punch" he says while shaking the blow off, "I guess I probably shouldn't taunt you anymore."

"William! Are you okay?" She asks with worry, "I thought I... I thought you were... I thought I lost you." She desperately hugs him.

"It's okay. I'm fine" he assures her.

She pulls away from the hug far enough that she can see him. Still panicked she asks, "are you sure I didn't fry your brain? I know how much you need that."

William laughs at that, "you didn't I promise. This suit stopped the electricity so I didn't even feel a shock. However, it doesn’t have the ability to stop the force of the blast and that's what knocked me down." Ari just nods and hugs him until she comes to terms with the fact that he is okay. After being released from a very long hug William asks, "so are you ready to go again?"

Ari looks at him completely shocked, "are you crazy?! I'm never doing that again. Your life is way more important than me figuring out this new ability."

"Come on Arianna" he encourages her, "the only way you are going to get better at this is by practicing over and over. And now you know exactly how strong this new found power is."

Ari shakes her head in refusal, "it’s still too much. I still won't risk your life again."

William argues back, "you remember how the last time felt right? So all you have to do now is use less force. Come on Ari, I believe in you. You aren't one to give upon anything, so please don't give up before you've even really started."

Ari contemplates for a moment and then sighs. She knows he is right. She hoists herself back up off the ground. She reaches her hand out and helps her brother back up. He grunts and then stretches a little before assuming a defensive stance. Ari takes several steps back and gets into position.

"If something bad happens, you know this one is on you right?" Ari warns anxiously.

"Oh I'm very aware" William says with a challenging grin, "now show me what you've got little Sis."

Ari closes her eyes and begins her process all over again.


	14. Chapter 14

It's a gloomy Sunday September afternoon. Ari is sitting on the living room couch wrapped up in her favorite green blanket with a textbook in her lap. She stares out the window of the living room and sighs. Between the never-ending rainstorm Star City has been experiencing over the past week and the long list of homework that has been piling up since she started her freshman year of college, she's been feeling pretty down. Her street looks empty which is typical for a Sunday. The trees, grass, and everything in sight are sopping wet. She stares back down at her book trying to will herself to concentrate hard enough to read the assigned pages.

Just as she turns the first page, there is a knock at the front door. She is confused to say the least. She's not expecting anyone today. Her parents are out of town for the weekend on a couple’s vacation and It's too early for William to be by to check on her. She unwraps herself from the blanket and slowly creeps to the door on high alert. She is now exponentially more grateful to Sara for teaching her to fight. She's praying the intruder is harmless, but she can't take any chances. Of course their front door doesn't have a peep hole, so she just opens it a fraction and peaks through prepared for anything.

When she learns the identity of her surprise visitor, she flings the door open and exclaims "Kara what are you doing here?!"

"I came here to surprise you" she explains, "your mom mentioned they would be gone for the weekend and I thought maybe you'd like some company."

"Of course I do. Come on in" Ari invites. Once Kara is in the house Ari gives her a warming hug.

"So what are you up to?" Kara asks as she sits in the chair directly to the right of the door.

Ari takes a seat next to her before answering "I was just working on some homework. Or trying to anyway. The rainy weather has me in sort of a funk and it's making it hard to concentrate."

"Sorry to interrupt your work," Kara apologizes.

"It’s okay" Ari dismisses her, "I need a break anyway."

"I heard through the grapevine you've found a new use of your powers. Some sort of defensive skill?"

"Yes I have" Ari confirms, "would you like to see it?"

"Definitely!" Kara says happily.

Ari leads Kara through the living room and dining room and to the stairs. They take the stairs down to the basement. To their left is a hallway that leads to a few bedrooms, a small movie theater, a bathroom, and an office that also pairs as a tech research and development area. To their right is a door that leads to one of Ari's favorite places in the house; the training area. Basically, it's a small version of the bunker. It is also Meta-proof so Ari doesn't have to worry about her powers transferring to the rest of the house. She opens the door and the lights automatically come one. It's a large room with a training ring lined with green rails in the center.

"Wow!" Kara marvels, "this place is amazing."

Ari smiles and nods "yeah it is. This training space has been here as long as I can remember but they added the Metablockers after my powers came in. So now the rest of the house is safe from superpowers."

"That’s really nice. It's like your own little safe haven" Kara comments "okay, enough chatting let's see this new ability of yours."

Ari smiles then blasts electricity across the room with ease. It has been a little over two months since William was her Guinea pig. Since then, she has made good progress with her ability.

"I call it electrablasting" Ari informs Kara, "the furthest I've been able to blast is about twenty feet." Ari looks over at Kara and sees she has tears in her eyes, "Kara are you okay?"

She shakes her head a little, "sorry yeah I’m just a little emotional. I started thinking about the first time I got to help you with your powers..."

<\--------<<

Kara programs the extrapolator to Earth-1 and a portal materializes. She steps through the portal and appears in the control room at Star Labs. She circles the room and is surprised to find it empty. Was the distress call she received just a false alarm? Before she can wonder too long, she hears two sets of footsteps coming toward her.

She is surprised again when the owners of the footsteps round the corner, "Oliver? Felicity? What are you guys doing here?"

"Oh good! You got our distress call" Felicity breathes a sigh of relief, "we were hoping you weren't too busy and would come right away."

"I'm here. Your message didn't say a whole lot, so what is going on?" Kara asks.

"It's Ari" Oliver answers, "two days ago her powers got the best of her. We also learned she’s an electropath not a technopath. We found out she can hear and feel every single thing that has electricity including Felicity’s Bio-stimulant. This new power come on with such intensity, Ari was in a lot of pain and had a pretty bad break down."

Felicity continues, "she’s been stuck in the safe room we designed for her since the break down happened and we've slowly been introducing electronic devices back into her vicinity. She's done well so far and has been able to tolerate up to ten items at a time including a TV and a laptop. We have a feeling today's test is going to be a challenging one. Cisco tested the implant in my spine. Originally, he thought it emitted the same amount of power as a large computer. Since, I have run another test and have found out it actually emits the same amount of power as six large computers. We just reactivated the implant so we're going to try to introduce me and see if she is able to dampen the implant."

"So more power makes it harder on her to dampen? And you think she’s ready for this after only two days?" Kara asks with slight skepticism.

Barry flashes in just in time to answer, "normally the answer would be no but we've all seen how much progress she's made and we think she can handle it."

"Okay. Quick question: can I ask why you brought me here? Not that I mind I love Arianna, but you already have Barry, Cisco and Caitlin."

Oliver responds, "we want you to help because you have something no one else has. You can relate to her because you were also a child with powers. Everyone else acquired their powers as adults except you. We know you are the perfect person for this job because you yourself have been there."

"Okay then let's get right to it.” They all walk down to the very end of the hall until they reach the long glass wall and the door to the safe room. "I'll go in first," Kara says as she opens the door and walks through it.

As soon as she enters, she sees Ari sitting on the one grey couch in the room. She is covered in a blanket and her feet are planted. She has her knees bent and a book resting on her thighs that she is reading. As Kara approaches her, she notices the subtle changes that have occurred in Ari since the last time she saw her. Her hair is shorter. Instead of flowing all the way to her waist, the blonde ringlets only reach the midportion of her back. She her face has also changed. It has somewhat elongated and become less childlike and more adult. Even though she’s sitting, Kara can tell she’s grown an inch or maybe two taller.

As Kara reaches the couch, her gaze is met with eyes that are wise beyond their years. Eyes that have always seemed to pierce right into her soul and melt her heart. Eyes that are typically filled with wonder and excitement, but today are filled with fear and worry. The girl smiles slightly at her, though it doesn't reach her eyes.

"What are you doing here Kara?" she questions.

“Your parents called me and asked if I could help. They thought I would be the best person to help with this next step in your journey.”

Ari hesitates, "and what step is that?"

"To bring her mom in with her bio-simulant working.”

Ari immediately stiffens and the more she talks, the more Kara can hear the fear "I don't think I'm ready. They told me it has a lot of power. More power than all the other things combined."

Kara kneels down in front of Ari so she is at eye level "listen I know I just got here, but there’s a room full of people out there who told me you are ready and say you can. And you know what? I trust every single one of those people with my life. So if they say you've got this, then I believe them beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

Ari still looks very worried, "but what if I can't? I don’t want to have to send my mom away."

"Honey your mom will understand completely if you can't handle it" Kara comforts her, "but if you keep assuming you won't be able to handle it, then you'll end up making yourself be right. Just relax and breathe and tell yourself that you can do it. You'd be surprised at the amount of things I have been able to achieve in my life just by doing that."

Ari closes her eyes, sighs, and then whispers to herself "it’s gonna be okay. I can do this."

"That's right" Kara encourages, "by having a good attitude and a good mindset you’ve already won half the battle."

Ari opens her eyes, braces herself, and says "send her in."

Felicity enters the room and ever so slowly walks toward Ari and Kara. Ari can hear and feel the Bio-stimulant the second her mom walks in the door. It's a combination of a loud buzzing sound and a vibration. Team Flash was right. It is definitely more powerful than anything else they have tested on her before. With each step, the sound only grows. Instead of panicking like she wants to, she closes her eyes and tries Caitlin's trick to dampen the frequency. She imagines it as a chunk of play dough that she can mold. In her mind’s eye, she crushes the play dough until it has shrunken to an eighth of its original size. As she does this, the frequency slowly quiets from a deafening buzz to one no louder than that of a bee.

She opens her eyes and smiles widely. She can't believe it actually worked. She runs to close the five-foot grab between her and her mother. She gives her the tightest hug.

"I did it Mom!" she exclaims triumphantly, "now I never have to see you in a wheel chair again. I hated being the one to put you in it."

"I knew you could" Felicity praises, "and I did it because my daughter needed me. I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"I know you would, but hopefully you never have to" Ari says as she squeezes her mother even tighter. She motions for Kara to join in and, with a little laugh, she gladly accepts.

Ari wakes early. She isn't quite sure just how early until she checks the clock that says 6:15 am. She slowly sits up on the couch and sneaks a peek at her parents on the bed. They are still sound asleep. Yesterday was great. She got her mother back and was able to dampen several other devices in addition to the spinal implant. It still doesn't take away the fact that she’s still stuck in this tiny room. No one will let her out until they done more tests.

She is growing more impatient by the second. She feels so trapped in the tiny room it's nearly suffocating. She feels like she’s in prison for a crime she didn't commit. She knows the adults only have her best interest in mind by waiting, but she can't take it anymore. She's had enough and it's time for her to take action. She needs out and she needs out now.

Before her parents can wake up and stop her, she quietly gets up and silently creeps to the door. She knows with certainty that the door is locked, but luckily it's an electric lock. She places her hand on the door until she can feel the vibration of the lock. In her mind, she grabs ahold of it and yanks it into the unlocked position. She then hears the tell-tale click of the lock that indicates her power worked. She whips her head back to her sleeping parents to make sure they didn't awaken. She is rewarded with the sounds of snores.

She pushes the door open as quietly as possible. She takes in a large breath and prepares herself for the rush of electric frequencies that will no doubt be on the other side of the door. She makes it a few steps into the hallway before the rush of about 100 electric currents nearly knock her on the ground. She freezes for a second, wondering if she is in way over her head. It's painful to say the least but she believes it is manageable now that she knows how to dampen them. She separates the currents and is able to decipher the strong ones from the weak. She dampens the strong first. She painstakingly continues to dampen each frequency until she hears nothing but the chorus of quiet humming in her ears.

She did it. She actually did it. She has to stop herself from hollering at the victory. However, she does excitedly jump up and down. She is so happy to be free she starts skipping down the hallway.

She avoids the lab. She knows she isn't quite ready for that. She remembers Barry saying the lab will be her final test because it has every possible device and they are all very powerful. He said if she can manage that, she will be able to take on anything the world could throw at her.

She instead heads straight to the kitchen for some breakfast. When she enters the kitchen, she sees Kara sitting at the table. Her back is turned so Ari is able to sneak in and sit at the table before Kara even looks up from her food.

"Hey how are you this morning?" Ari asks casually.

"I’m good how are..." Kara says automatically then gasps when she realizes who she’s talking to, "Ari! What are you doing here?! Are you okay? Are you hurting?" Is it too much?" she interrogates.

“I'm okay I promise. It was a lot at first and it did hurt but I was able to dampen everything so now I'm fine.”

“You shouldn't have done that alone” Kara scolds, ‘what if it had been too much and you had no one around to help you?”

“I know I'm sorry. I just couldn’t stay in that room any longer. I was losing my mind.”

Kara looks her over to make sure she really is okay before relaxing, "it's okay. Just don’t do it again. You hear me?"

"Yes I do."

"Okay now let's get you some breakfast I'm sure you're hungry," Kara says as she walks to the cabinets to find Ari some food.

Ari is eating her last bite of Reece’s Puffs when she hears the running footsteps of her parents followed by her mother screaming, "Ari! Ari! Where are you?!"

And her father's booming voice yelling, "WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER?!"

Ari drops her spoon. Her and Kara both look at each other with wide eyes. Ari has never wished more that she could hide under a rock and disappear. She’s in so much trouble.

"In the kitchen" she timidly projects her voice loud enough to them to hear.

They enter the kitchen in a split second. They run to Ari and engulf her with a group hug. They both bombard her with questions. Asking her if she’s okay, why she felt, and if she's hurt. Once they are reassured she's okay, they become only slightly upset with her.

"You shouldn't have left without telling us" Felicity chides.

"I'm sorry Mom. I woke up and was feeling so trapped I couldn't breathe. I was hungry too. And you guys were just so cute sleeping all cuddled up. I didn't want to wake you" she explains.

“Okay fine" Oliver says grumpily then lightens up a little, "just please don’t do anything like that again. You almost gave us both a heart attack."

"I won't do it again I promise. Now let's get you guys something for breakfast" she suggests.

They roll their eyes at her. They are both way too keyed up to eat breakfast now.

All of Team Flash, Kara, her parents, and Ari stand at the door to the lab. Ari, Oliver, and Felicity are the closest to the door. They stand hand in hand. After conquering the rest of the building in just one morning, she somehow convinced everyone to let her try the lab.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Felicity asks.

"Yes" she states with as much confidence as she can muster. She sounds a lot more certain than she actually is.

"Okay just making sure because it was just three days ago you couldn't handle being in your own house” Oliver says, “and now you want to take on some of the most powerful devices on the planet.”

Ari shrugs as her confidence returns, "a lot can happen in three days."

She takes a step forward pulling her parents with her. Their weight causes the automatic doors to open. Ari holds her breath in anticipation. Nothing could've prepared her for this though.

Thousands of powerful electric pulses shower her like acid rain. They hit so hard it feels like she got the wind knocked out of her. She gasps for breath. A small shriek escapes her mouth before she can stop it.

Her parents try to drag her out. She plants her feet and won't budge, "no stop. I have to try."

She closes her eyes and focuses on the frequencies. They are too loud and strong this time to even differentiate. She begins to panic a little but she pushes past it. Past the pain. Past the roar. Past the fear that she can't handle it. This time she imagines a mound of dough the size of a house. She molds it and squeezes it. At a snail's pace, it begins to shrink and so do the frequencies. She dampens the signals until she can dampen no further. They are still loud, but they are bearable. She relaxes and she can feel her parents do the same.

She looks up at both of them and grins, "I'm okay. I did it. It's still loud. My guess is it's because of the sheer amount of electricity surging through this room, but I can tolerate it at this level."

She is met with a huge congratulatory group hug and comments from everyone in the room.

"I've also been working on a little something else while I was stuck in the safe room" Ari says after the compliments stop, "I knew when I conquered the lab, I wanted to celebrate with this song. It's from the most recent Karate Kid movie."

She points to the speakers on the desk and instantly the song _Never Say Never_ starts playing. Everyone starts laughing but joins in. Those who know the song sing along, and those who don't still dance. Ari makes her rounds singing verses to every person then ends up on the top of the desk by the end of the song. When the song's last note fades away, Ari hops off the table and takes a seat at the desk.

"Does this mean I get to go home now?" She asks Bari who is standing closest to her.

"You have made a lot of good progress" Barry answers, "but I think all the adults need to have a meeting. It'll be soon though."

Ari sighs, "why do the adults always have to talk?" The adults all chuckle.

"Will you be okay here if we go out to have our meeting?" Caitlin asks.

"Yeah I'm okay now" Ari responds. She watches as the adults leave.

Cisco is the last one out and he says "good job kid," and messes up her hair as he exits.

Once everyone settles in the hallway, Oliver is the first to break the silence, "so what's the verdict? Can she go home?"

Caitlin answers, "honestly I think she's close but we should really keep her for at least one more day."

Cisco nods, "I definitely agree. We need to watch her for a little longer."

"Okay" Felicity agrees, "but she won't like it very much. She's been feeling trapped already and she tends to go a little crazy when she feels caged."

"Um I may be able to offer a solution" Kara shyly interjects as all eyes turn to her, "I could bring her to my earth."

There is a moment of silence and everyone just blinks for a second before Oliver says "what?"

"Look I know it's a world away and it probably sounds crazy but I think Arianna would really benefit from it. I know you guys have a lot of experience with people with powers, but you aren’t the only ones. The DEO is also well equipped and experienced too. I think what Ari really needs to acclimate back into the real world is someone who knows first-hand how to do that. After all, I was just about her age when I first came to earth and realized I had powers."

Felicity sighs, "I think you're right but let me talk it over with Oliver first." She grabs his arm and leads him into the closest room.

Ari spins in the desk chair and stares at the ceiling. She wonders what could possibly be taking so long. The automatic doors slide open and her mom, dad, and Kara are the only people to walk back through. Her mom carries a purple duffel bag that she places on the floor in front of Ari.

"So you came to a decision I see," Ari comments.

"Yes we did, but only if you accept it" Felicity states. She and Oliver kneel in front of their daughter.

"All of us feel you aren't quite ready to come home yet" Oliver explains, "but we also know that you are feeling stuck here so we came up with an alternative plan."

Felicity explains further, "we want you to stay with Kara on her earth for a few days. And if all goes well, you will be able to go home."

Ari thinks for a moment, "are you guys coming with us?"

"No baby. We need to get back home" Oliver answers.

"But we'll be just one portal message away" Felicity reassures her.

Ari contemplates even more. She's never been that far away from her parents before, but she's also always wanted to see Kara's earth. In the end, curiosity wins out.

"Okay I'll go” she confirms, “my guess is we're leaving now?”

"Yeah" Kara responds, "I also need to get back home."

"Goodbye sweetheart" Felicity hugs her daughter through goodbye tears, "I love you so much."

"I love you too mama. I'm gonna miss you" Ari says as she hugs her back. She moves to Oliver next, "bye daddy. I love you too."

"I love you so much" he chokes out. He releases her then leaves her with, "you behave for Kara and don't forget we’ll be there as fast as Barry if you need us."

Ari smiles at that and then picks up her duffle bag. She grabs Kara's hand. Kara fires up the extrapolator. Ari takes one last look at her parents before her and Kara walk through the portal and into another world.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I'm sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I've been studying for a board examination and it's consumed a lot of my free time lately. Just a side note about this chapter, it's a continuation of the last chapter so it begins in the past. Thank you all for being patient with me and for the continued support!

Ari can't remember the last time she was this calm and still. She gazes sideways out Kara's living room window. The view is absolutely gorgeous. It's as if she can see the entirety of National city stretched out so beautifully before her eyes. The sun has set so the street lights make the whole city seem to glow. Ari and Kara both rest on the couch and Ari's eyes begin to get heavy. This day has been one of the longest of her life.

Once they made it to the portal, they met up with Mon-El. They then look Ari on a tour of their favorite places in town. They ended up at Kara's sister Alex's house and Ari got to meet her family. All of Kara's friends paid a quick visit too. It was nice to meet all of Kara's loved ones, including her nieces and nephew, but also exhausting. Especially since she had to dampen new devices everywhere she went. Once they arrived back at the apartment, Mon-El decided it was his turn to patrol the city for the night so Kara and Ari could have some time to themselves.

As the memories of the day float through her mind and her eyes become heavier, Ari sinks into the couch and rests her head in Kara's lap. Kara slowly runs her fingers through her hair. Ari relaxes into Kara further. She reminds her so much of her mom. She closes her eyes and tries to ignore the ache in her chest. Even though the day was incredible and she loves Kara, she can't stop missing her own family. She waits for the ache to pass. When it finally does, it is replaced with curiosity. She turns her head up to look at Kara who glances back down at her with a content grin.

"Can I ask you a question," Ari softly asks.

"Sure. Ask away."

"Why aren't you a mom yet?" Ari wonders.

Kara inhales sharply and stiffens. It's obvious she is taken off guard. After a moment of hesitation, she answers "oh I don't know. It's a lot of little things really. I know I might like to someday but Mon-El and I haven't been married very long. Also, I know I have a responsibility to this city. I love being a hero and I know being a parent could change that. I don't want my child to be in danger and I also don't want my attention to be split."

Ari gazes up at Kara with tender and loving eyes before saying softly, "have kids Kara. The world needs more of you in it. It needs more people with your kindness, and drive, and selflessness. Your kids will love that you're a hero. Think of the examples you would be setting for them by being one. Take it from someone who knows firsthand, being a superhero doesn't mean you would love them any less. Actually, I think it makes you love them more because you know things may not last forever and you live every moment to the fullest. Being a hero won't make you a bad parent, it'll make you the opposite I promise. Over the last few days we've spent together, it's become more abundantly clear with every passing second that I know you will be the best mother when the time comes."

The hesitation and uncertainty practically roll off of Kara's body, "I just... I don't know..."

"Just think about it okay?" Ari says before closing her eyes and sinking back into Kara's warmth.

Ari opens her eyes and is consumed with confusion. Where is she? How did she get here? Slowly the memories of yesterday come rushing back. She now remembers she came to visit Kara's earth. The light blue walls and simple but elegant furniture that surround her are those of Kara's guest room. The only mystery now is how did she get here? The last thing she remembers is sitting on the couch talking with Kara. She must have fallen asleep and Kara carried her in here. The thought of that makes Ari smile.

Ari closes her eyes once more trying to hold onto the last few ounces of sleep. She takes in one of the new favorite noises; silence. Now that her powers have grown, she doesn't get much silence anymore. Now she has to deal with a constant stream of technology which, even when dampened, is still a low never-ending hum in the back of her mind. The only relief she gets is at night. Before she left Cisco gifted her with an electric dampener which, once turned on, dulls all electric frequencies in a ten-foot radius. This allows Ari to have a restful sleep. Kara must've also remembered she needed the dampener and brought it in and turned it on. This just reiterates the notion the Kara would make a good mother.

After another moment of total silence, the sound of neAring footsteps break through. The is a light knock at the door followed by Kara's gentle voice, "Ari it's time to wake up. I'm coming in." The door creaks slightly as it opens and Kara walks toward the bed and takes a seat on the edge. Ari opens her eyes and tiredly smiles at Kara. Kara returns the smile and adds "good morning sleepy head."

"Morning Kara. Did I fall asleep on the couch last night?"

"You sure did" Kara replies, "I brought you in here and got you all tucked in. Then I remembered your dampener so I brought it in and turned it on. It seemed to calm you instantly."

"Thank you for that. I slept better last night than I have in ages. Who knew silence could be so great? What's on the agenda for the day?"

"Well breakfast first of course" Kara answers, "and then I need to run to the DEO for a little bit. Would you like to come with? Keep in mind there's a lot of electric devices around there."

"I would like to go. I need to face this stuff head on. I can't live in fear and avoidance for the rest of my life."

Kara nods, "okay it's settled then. Let's go get ready for the day."

Nearly 45 minutes later Kara and Ari arrive at the DEO. As they approach the doors, a small sigh escapes Ari's mouth. She can already feel the electric pulses surging through the door.

"Do you have this? Or do you think it's too much?" Kara asks.

Ari sighs once more, "there’s only one way to find out."

She pushes the door open and is blasted with electric energy. Within moments she separates the frequencies and dampens them. She smiles at her success and at how much easier it has become in a matter of days. She looks up at Kara and gives her a smile and a grin to let her know that she is okay.

Her eyes wonder the DEO. It's a large building that seems bleak and serious. In front of her must be the control room. Kara and Ari walk straight ahead. Once they approach the large round desk filled with computers and DEO agents, they are greeted by Alex and John.

"Supergirl what is a child doing here?" John questions.

"The Green Arrow from Earth-1 needs me to care for her for a little while. She has electric abilities and she is working on getting them under control."

"This goes against the DEO's policies" John grumbles.

"I figured you could make an exception this time" Kara retorts.

John quietly growls but gives in, "fine but if anything happens to her, it's on you."

"I understand completely" Kara says seriously.

John spends several minutes informing Kara of their newest enemy. Surprisingly enough, it's the doppelganger of the exact villain that gave Ari her powers all those years ago. They don't know what Surge’s target is but they do know he has been trying to break into the DEO for several days now.

As if on cue, all the lights begin to flicker and every electronic device shorts out. Automatically Kara turns to Ari assuming she is losing grip on her powers. Ari just shrugs in response. The doors of the DEO fly open and in walks Surge. Most of the DEO agents in the room start dropping like flies. It only takes a millisecond for Ari to realize this is somehow Surge's doing.

"Some of you are able to resist me" Surge comments angrily, "how?"

Ari scans the room and notices three other people standing alongside her; John, Kara, and Alex.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is you have broken into a government facility and we will not let you get away with it," Alex threatens as she pulls out her weapons.

Surge laughs wickedly, "good luck trying to stop me." He begins firing electric bullets at them.

In a one-tenth of a second Ari goes from standing alongside Kara and the others, to being whisked under the desk and shielded by Kara. "I've got you,” she whispers.

"Do you have a plan?" Ari asks without fear.

"Sort of. There’s only one problem. Surge shut off access to the doors over there," Kara points to the large steal doors off to their left, "if we could get through them, we could lead him to our power dampening chambers and lock him up. But there’s no way to get though them."

"Yes there is," Ari states urgently, "you have me."

"What are you talking about?" Kara whispers aggressively.

"I can open them with my powers. I know it," Ari suggests firmly.

Kara disagrees, " I am not going to let you risk your life for this."

Ari shakes her head stubbornly and stands up before Kara can stop her. "Distract him!" Ari demands.

She sprints to the door without looking back. Sounds of fighting and violence ricochet off the walls all around her. She tunes it out and focuses on hearing the sound of the door. Once she hears the frequency, she places her hand on the door and it unlocks instantly.

"Now Supergirl!" Ari yells. Kara, Alex, and John all flee through the door and Surge pursues them.

The room is flooded with silence. Ari takes a moment to process, then runs to the first person who is down in front of her. She places her hand on the woman and can feel the electric force that is making her sleep. It takes a moment for Ari to figure it out, but she is able to counter the current and wake her up. She then makes her rounds waking everyone else up with the touch of her hand. Suddenly she becomes overwhelmed by the entire situation. The urge to run away becomes so strong she is unable to resist it any longer so she runs away as fast as her legs will carry her.

Alex and Kara high five each other. With the help of John, they were able to lock Surge away.

"Well that went pretty smoothly" Kara comments as she, Alex, and John make their way back to the command center.

"Yeah it did" Alex agrees, "thanks to Ari. Man, that kid was incredible. Did you see the way she just jumped into action with no fear? That girl is going places someday."

Kara nods fiercely, "she definitely is."

"She’ll make a great hero someday if that's what she chooses," John states wisely.

"No doubt," Kara confirms.

As they enter the control center, claps erupt all around. Kara doesn't care about the clapping though, she is focused on finding the small blonde-hair blue-eyed beauty who helped save the day. She becomes increasingly more panicked when she doesn't see her anywhere.

"Has anyone seen Ari?" Kara questions. She is answered with silence and blank stares from everyone around her.

"Everyone drop what they are doing we need to find her," Alex commands. They obey immediately.

Twelve minutes. Every soul in the DEO has been searching for twelve minutes with no luck. With every passing second, Kara's panic exponentially grows. Kara is so worried and distracted she practically runs into Alex.

"Still no luck?" Alex asks.

Frustrated tears fill Kara's eyes, "no Alex! What am I going to do? I've had her for one day and I already lost her. Oliver and Felicity are going to kill me."

Alex places a hand on each of Kara's shoulders as if to ground her, "it’s going to be okay we'll find her. Think Kara. Where haven't we looked?" 

Then it dawns on her. There is one place they haven't checked yet. It's a long shot, but it's all she has. She uses her super speed to climb the stairs in seconds. She throws the door to the roof open and is blinded by the light of day. Once her eyes readjust, she sees Ari sitting on the one bench on the rooftop. She is facing away from her. She sits hunched over with her hands on her face.

Kara runs to her and practically yells, "Ari! Oh my gosh! Are you okay?! We've been looking everywhere for you!”

“I'm fine” she says but Kara can see her wiping away a tears from her eyes.

Kara softens instantly and slowly takes a seat on the bench next to her, "I can see you're not okay. What's wrong sweetie?"

"It’s nothing really. I was just thinking about how happy and proud I was that I could help today. Then I started to think about my parents and their reaction. I just got sad and worried and I just needed a break and some time to think, so I came up here. I always do my best thinking alone in the open air."

Kara gently brushes back Ari’s hair so she can see her better. Her blue eyes are red and filled with tears. It breaks her heart a little, "and what thoughts are those? Can you tell me what's making you sad?"

New tears seep out of Ari’s eyes as she explains, "It's just lonely you know? Having these powers. It's just so hard sometimes. And then there’s my parents. I just... I wish my parents could be proud of me for what I did today instead of totally freaking out like I know they're going to. "

“Oh Ari honey. Trust me when I say they are proud of you. Very proud of you. But they're also your parents and it's a parent’s job to freak out and worry. It's in their nature.”

Ari sighs deeply, “yeah I understand that, I just wish they could worry less and trust me more.”

“They trust you beyond a show of a doubt. I've seen it firsthand. It's the others out there they don't trust. And they are worried about what the others may do to you. They themselves have been damaged from the people they fight against and they don't want that for you.”

“I know and that's the problem.” Ari cries, “I want that same life for myself and I know it doesn't come without risk, but it's all I want. All I ever think about. Just being out there saving people. It's like I have this calling and it's so hard to just ignore it.”

Kara puts her arm around Ari and draws her in close, “I know exactly what you mean and exactly how you feel. When I first came to this world, my parents wouldn't let me use my powers either and all I wanted was to help others just like you. I know exactly how frustrating and infuriating it is to not be able to use the gifts you have been given. But looking back on my childhood, I now see they made the right decision for me. You see, that time helped me to relate to others better. It made me more compassionate and helped me grow in ways that I couldn't have otherwise. It also helped me truly make the decision to be a hero on my own. I wouldn't trade that time for anything. I think someday you will feel the same way I do. You know what else? In a way you have it better than I do…”

Ari raises her eyebrows skeptically, “how so?”

“I had to figure all this stuff out on my own, but you have me. You have someone who's been through a lot of the same things and you aren't alone in this.”

Ari nestles her head into Kara’s shoulder, “that is true and thank you for being here. Thank you for not letting me be on my own.”

“You are welcome. Back to your thought earlier, your parents are going to freak out. Your dad is Oliver Queen after all, he's the king of freaking out,” Kara jokes and Ari laughs, “but they will calm down quickly and, in their own way, they will be proud. I just want you to see how great your parents are and how much they love you. They don't have all the answers either and they are just trying their best with what they have been given. Just don't be too hard on them okay?”

“Okay I won't.”

“How are you feeling now? Did this help you at all?” Kara asks.

“Yeah it really did thank you for lifting my spirits. I needed this.”

"Any time" Kara responds as she stands up and reaches her hand out to Ari, "now come on. Let's get you back downstairs. There’s a lot of people down there waiting to thank you for saving the day.”

Kara paces her apartment balcony as she dials Oliver's number. Shortly after Surge’s attack Kara brought Ari back to the apartment to relax and decompress. She left Ari on the couch so she could have a private conversation with her parents. She is dreading this conversation. She knows she probably let Oliver and Felicity down and they are not going to be happy with the events that unfolded today. Two rings is all it takes for Oliver to pick up.

"Hey Kara what's going on?" Oliver asks instantly.

Felicity follows with, "is Ari okay?"

"Well you see..." Kara trails off as she tells the events that unfolded. When she stops talking, all she hears at first is silence and her heart plummets. Silence from Oliver Queen is definitely worse than yelling.

After a beat, Oliver says an eerily calm "what?" Kara begins to explain again and then Oliver stops her, "no I heard what you said, I was hoping you would change your answer. You put my daughter in harm's way and her life at risk and she's only been in your protection for a little over a day."

Kara shrinks smaller than she has ever been before, "I know, I know. I am so sorry. I never thought anything like this could happen. We've never had a break in at the DEO. I thought it was the safest place imaginable for her."

"Well it wasn't," Oliver growls.

Over the phone Kara hears Felicity trying to calm him, “Oliver she wasn’t harmed. In fact, she helped them. Kara did the best she could. And you know our child. She's so strong willed nothing would've stopped her from helping."

"I know Felicity" Oliver begins to calm down, "but that's our daughter."

“And your daughter is perfectly fine now" Kara says as she begins to get her confidence back, "and after the whole ordeal you know where I found her? She was all alone and she was crying.”

“What? Why?” an alarmed Felicity asks.

“She said her powers made her feel lonely sometimes and that she just wishes her parents would be proud of her instead of freaking out. So my advice for you guys, is to calm down now so you can show her you are proud of her when she returns. I know you guys are great parents and right now your child needs some extra support and love. Please give that to her and I hope you will please forgive me someday too."

Kara can practically feel Felicity relax through the phone, "we do forgive you. We know you did your best. Extra love and support is something we will definitely give our daughter.”

“Good,” Kara says, “because today proved she is ready to come home. Do you want me to send her though the portal now or can I have some extra time with her?”

“Please send her through. After the events of today we really need to talk with her. Plus we miss her like crazy” Oliver answers “and Kara thank you for helping us. We really do appreciate what you have done for us. Sorry I blew up a little there.”

“It's okay. It’s understandable. I'll send her over soon.” Kara hangs up the phone.

“I'm opening the portal to take you home in just a few minutes,” Kara informs as she renters the living room.

“Already? But I just got here,” Ari complains.

“I know, but it's time for you to go home and be with your family. Today proved you are more than ready,” Kara says proudly.

“But I'll miss you,” Ari says sadly.

“I know me too. But I'll never be far.”

Ari pouts, “only a whole bunch of worlds away.”

“Yes but since I have the extrapolator and both of us have a phone, the distance isn't so bad.”

“I guess you are right,” Ari stands up and hugs Kara tightly, “I love you Kara. Thank you so much for everything. There’s no way I would've gotten through this without you.”

“Of course, anytime. I love you too,” Kara hugs back and kisses the top of her forehead.

Ari glances up at Kara, she mischievously smiles, points to Kara and says, “don't you forget about that advice I gave you yesterday.”

Kara rolls her eyes while grinning, “I'll think about it.”

Kara fires up the extrapolator, "and Ari just remember I'm only one call away."

"I will," Ari says while releasing the hug and walking to the portal. Ari looks back at Kara once more. She graces her with one more smile and a wave before walking through the portal to reunite with her family.

>>\------>

Kara wipes the few proud tears that escaped her eyes, "now here you are. Perfecting and embracing your powers a little more each day. I'm just really proud of you.”

“Thank you, but I still have a long way to go. Every triumph I have with them, only leads to another setback.”

Kara thinks about Ari’s predicament for a second before a brilliant idea hits her, “you know what I think you need?”

“What?”

Kara smiles widely, “some flying therapy.”

Ari questions her with an eyebrow raise, “but it's raining.”

“That's never stopped me before. There’s actually an added thrill to flying in the rain.” Suddenly Kara picks Ari up and in a split second they are flying. Rain is pelting Ari’s face but she really doesn’t care. Flying is one of her favorite things in the world. She begins to let all her cares fall away and she laughs and shouts gleefully.

They fly for a few short minutes before Kara stops at a roof top. She sets Ari down and stands a foot away so Ari can still hear her through the pouring rain.

“I think your lesson can be learned in this flying session,” Kara says loudly enough to be heard, “any time I take you flying, you're so light and carefree. It's easy to see how much you love it. When you are working on your powers, though, you're always so serious and even slightly broody about it. You get that from your father. But if you want your elctrablasts to be less intense, then I think the answer is that you need to be less intense.”

Ari argues, “but every time I stop taking my powers seriously, it always ends badly.”

“Still show your powers the respect they deserve,” Kara advises, “just lighten up a little. Maybe even have a little fun and just see what happens okay?”

“Okay I'll try,” Ari agrees hesitantly.

“Are you ready for some more?” Kara asks.

Ari nods eagerly but then wishes longingly, “I wish I could fly on my own.”

“You never know maybe someday you will,” Kara says hopefully. Kara grabs her again and they are off. By now, Ari’s soaked but she’s never cared less. She’s having the time of her life and she’s now ready to use that to her advantage.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arianna discovers a new power she possesses. Over the course of a month of learning to perfect this power, she discovers much about the past.

Arianna paces the floor of the Smoak Tech research and development lab. It's late. Probably ten or eleven at night if she had to guess. Which, of course, is late for her to be out since she's only seventeen. Everyone else, including her mom, has gone home for the night. They all believe their latest snag in with their newest invention is a problem that can wait for another day. Ari disagrees. She knows she's on the verge of a breakthrough.

She sighs in frustration, plops down on the nearest office chair, and pushes herself away from the desk with force. She then stressfully places her forehead in her hand and massages her temple. The Smoak Tech team are currently working on a device that will only work through commands from its owner's specific brainwaves and no one else's. If successful, this product would significantly reduce, or even eliminate, the number of hackers that wreak havoc on the world. So far, with the help of Ari's powers, they've gotten it to work on a few simple commands.

She pulls her head away from her hand and searches the room looking for any type of revelation or insight to her problem. That's when she sees it. A security camera mounted on the back left-hand corner of the room. It makes her wonder if she can somehow access the previous footage with her powers. Maybe the answers she's seeking will come for somewhere in the past. Possibly from a project her mom or some other genius was working on.

She scoots the chair back to the desk, grabs the mouse of the nearest computer, and pulls up the security footage. She knows the camera only has so much storage on it but with her powers, she may still have a way to access the deleted files. She uses the mouse to scroll back to the last entry from the camera. It's from only two weeks ago. She places her hand on the computer screen and closes her eyes in order to focus better. She thinks of a day in her head. She starts with one from a month ago. A day where it was just her and her mom working on their project. Once the image appears in her mind's eye, she begins replaying the memory in her head. She opens her eyes and is rewarded with the same memory playing on the screen.

She can't help the cheer that escapes her mouth when she realizes what she has accomplished. She just brought a deleted file back to life with the power of her mind. She stands for a moment just watching the footage and being in awe of this new ability.

She doesn't know if the answer to her latest technology problems are in the past, but now that she has discovered another new ability she possesses, an idea springs into her head. She wants to revisit the past. Not her past, but a different past. One that she has always been curious about. One that she has always wanted to see for herself. A past that has brought her so much hope and inspiration because it's the past in which she was created from. She wants to see her parent's past.

She smiles when she realizes her new power may just be her favorite power yet. This is like a dream come true. She has heard bits and pieces of her parents' love story but she has longed to see it in its entirety for a long while. She excitedly squeals because she knows she finally is going to see her parents love story unfold before her very own eyes. Now she just has to figure out how to truly work this new gift.

It has been a total of thirteen days since Ari discovered she possesses the ability to look into the past through security footage. Since this discovery, she has spent every waking second trying to perfect and strengthen it. Now that she has practiced, she is able to pull up footage from any camera in Star City and up to nearly 30 years into the past. She has also been able to extend her powers from just security cameras to any type of camera. Since she knows her parents' DNA like the back of her hand, she has been able to track them to nearly any given moment in the past. She began watching their love story from when Oliver made it back from the island.

Today, Ari and Oliver walk along the boardwalk until they find their special bench. They sit on their bench by the water and eat their ice cream just as they do every Tuesday. It is their special tradition they've had as long as she can remember. It is her own special time with her dad. He always asks her questions and they just sit and talk about anything and everything. This time is different though. This time she is the one with the burning questions. Questions that have been keeping her up at night for the past few weeks.

She takes a couple minutes to allow the questions to form properly in her brain. She eats a few bites of her cookie dough ice cream while she does. The questions she needs to ask are not easy ones. She's dreading asking, but she also desperately needs answers. Once she feels like she can take the suspense no longer, she sighs and turns to look up at her father.

She clears her throat and begins, "so I just discovered a new power and I've been working pretty hard on it."

With pride Oliver asks, "oh really? What is this new power?"

"I figured out how to restore past footage from any camera so I can watch it" she explains, "so far I can only extend about a ten-mile radius. I hope to reach further someday."

"That's amazing Ari" he beams, "how far in the past have you been able to go?"

Ari was in the process of eating another bite of ice cream and swallows hard. She can't avoid this any longer. "A little over 25 years," she answers.

In shock, Oliver nearly drops his ice cream and all that escapes his mouth is "oh...?"

"I wanted to watch you and mom's love story. I've made it to the part when you leave the hood behind for a while and you and mom go traveling." Oliver's eyes get wide and Ari laughs, "don't worry I skipped all the gross parts. Man, you guys' story is... interesting. And a roller coaster. But cute all at the same time" she teases and then her voice becomes instantly heavier, "that's not all I found out though... You were missing for five years?"

"Yes," he answers breathlessly afraid of what else she may have learned.

She presses on, "the things you did... they were bad, weren't they? You tortured people, didn't you? You even killed..." her voice slowly dwindles to a disbelieving whisper.

Oliver’s deepest fear is realized. His daughter knows the truth. The weight of his past feels like it's crushing him all over again. He feels like this time, it may succeed. "Yes I did," he regretfully confirms.

Ari takes in a deep shaky breath and looks away from him, "why didn't you ever tell me?"

Oliver tries to maintain his composure even though his world has just come crashing down, "because I am ashamed of that time. I regret it more than anything in the world. Because even I don't know how I was capable of terrible things I did. It's a time in my past I wish more than anything I could just erase. I was just trying to survive, but I went about it in a very wrong way. I know that with all my heart. You are my daughter. I never wanted you to see me as the person I used to be. The person that could do those kinds of things and be as awful as I was. I just wanted one person in my life to see me as the person I became. I am so sorry." Oliver bends over like he's been punched in the gut. Shame washes over him knowing this is the moment that his daughter is finally seeing him for the terrible person he once was and she is going to reject him.

"You probably think I'm a monster, don't you?" he asks with tear-filled eyes as the pain of the past threatens to pull him under.

Ari continues to stare into the distance as she ponders everything she just heard. She can feel the waves of regret, pain, and sorrow that are rolling off her dad. She is angry to say the least. She doesn't understand how this could be true. How the person she's known her whole life could possibly be someone completely different. Even in her pain though, she knows the truth and she must speak it. She turns her head to look at him. He is hunched over and looks so defeated it nearly breaks her.

She says slowly, "No... I don't think you're a monster."

His head snaps up to meet her gaze, "what? Why? You should."

She places one hand on his shoulder and squeezes lightly, "because you changed. You are not the same man you were back then. Don't get me wrong, the things you did were awful. I will never be able to understand how you could stand in front of someone and just take their life. And I am upset with you. It's going to take a while for me to really process this. But one thing I know for sure is, someday I will forgive you."

"I don't deserve this," Oliver cries.

"Yes, you do" Ari says certainly, "and you know what else? In some small way I think I'm glad for those experiences, even though they are darker than I could ever imagine, because they made you into the man you are today. A man who is brave, strong, compassionate, giving, caring, and kind. A man that gives everything he has in order to make others better. A man who loves so deeply and has taught others, like myself, to do the same. A man who somehow, through all of this, has the strongest moral compass I know. You took something that would break most people and you turned it into something that is amazing. Along the way you redeemed yourself. How could I not eventually forgive someone who has come so far? So no... I don't think you're a monster. You have become a great person and an even more amazing dad. I wouldn't trade the man you became for anything in the whole world. And I still love you no matter what."

Oliver cries harder, "I'm overwhelmed," is all he can choke out. Ari embraces him in a comforting hug until he regains his composure. He slowly sits himself back up and looks her directly in the eye for the first time. "Thank you Ari," he says as one final tear drops from his eye. Ari wipes it away for him, "I'm going to do everything in my power to be worthy of the grace you have just given me."

She points at him and with a small smile says, "you better."

After a pause, Oliver states softly "you are so much like her. You know that right?"

"Who?" Ari questions.

"Your mother. She would've said something very similar to what you just said."

"Well I do have half her DNA."

"I know but that doesn't mean you'll automatically be like her. I'm so happy and proud that you are. When you were younger, I was so afraid you would be like me and not like her" Oliver admits.

"I'm glad I'm like her too" Ari agrees, "she's truly amazing. But I'm like you too, you know?"

"Yeah I know," Oliver says sheepishly.

"And it isn't a bad thing. I got all of your good qualities. Okay and maybe a few of your not so good ones. But you know what? I think it still makes me better."

"No" to Ari’s surprise he disagrees, "I think it makes you perfect."

Ari smiles at that and Oliver embraces her once more. He is in complete awe of the fact that this incredible human is his daughter.

By now their ice cream has practically melted, so they both take a moment of silence to finish eating and to process. Once done, Ari remembers another question she wanted to ask, "I have another question I've been dying to know. I mean I have my suspicions on the answer, but I just want to hear it from you. It's an easier question I promise."

Oliver laughs a little, "I sure hope so. What's your question?"

"When did you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you loved mom?"

Oliver answers quickly, "the second I saw her."

Arianna playfully nudges Oliver, "no dad be serious. I know you dated other people for a while after you met mom. Remember, I've seen the footage from the past. You may have loved her from the start, but when did you really know you loved her and wanted to spend the rest of your life with her?"

Oliver takes a second to think before responding, "hmmm... okay. I was at the court room. Thea and I were awaiting the verdict of my mom’s court case about her involvement in the undertaking. Anyway, I get this phone call saying The Count had Felicity. In that moment it didn't matter that my mom could go to prison, or worse. All that mattered was that Felicity was in trouble. When I arrived, he grabbed her and put that needle to her neck... trust me when I say I had never felt more panicked in my whole life. Not in any of the moments I was away for five years. Not when Sara flew out of the boat. Not when my father and I were stranded on that raft. Not even when Thea, my own sister, was kidnapped. When he drew that needle back, I just reflexively ended it before he could ever hurt her. And in that panic, that's when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I loved her and if anything were to happen to her, I'd never survive."

Ari smiles brilliantly, "I knew it!"

"You did? How?"

Ari shrugs, "I don't really know. Watching it first-hand... it just seemed like a pivotal moment. I could see it in your eyes. You just seemed different after that day." Ari rests her head on her father's shoulder, "I'm so glad I'm getting to watch your story. It really is a beautiful one. Frustrating... but beautiful."

"You really think so?" Oliver questions.

She looks up at her dad once more with her sparkling blue eyes, "yeah I really do."

It has been one week since Ari's ice cream conversation with her dad. Today Ari continues to watch the love story in her room. Ari rests on her bed. Her legs are crossed and her laptop sits in her lap. Somewhere along the past few weeks, Ari began thinking about her how parents' anniversary is coming up. She wants to do something special for them this year and it dawned on her that she could somehow save this footage and turn it into a video slideshow of their love story. Now all she needs is to finish watching their story, edit all the best parts, and put it to music from the time when they fell in love. Boy, she has a lot of work ahead of her. She doesn’t mind though. She is having so much fun just watching their journey.

The portion of her parent's journey she's currently watching is painful. Her mom became paralyzed, they got the implant to start working just in time for her to walk away from Oilver. Then they had a fake wedding to try and thwart the villain Cupid. Now she's watching the scene of her parents talking alone in the bunker. At the end of the conversation, Felicity ends up giving the ring back and says "there’s no fixing this. We have to let each other go."

Oliver replies with, "I don't want to let you go."

"I don't want to let you go, but I'm already gone" Felicity cries as she walks away.

Ari hits the keyboard with a little too much force as she pauses the scene. She’s already edited this scene and put it to music with the song _Already Gone_ by Sleeping At Last. Of course, that only makes the scene about a thousand times more emotional.

"Ugh! Gosh! Why are they so frustrating?!" She grumbles. A few tears escape her eyes. She didn't expect to become this emotionally invested in the story, but now it's too late. It's excruciating to watch her parents suffer. Ari hears footsteps in the hallway outside her door. She sniffles and attempts to wipe her tears before the guest walks by her door. She isn't quick enough, however, her mom peeks her head in and instantly realizes her daughter has been crying.

"Ari baby. What's wrong?" she asks as she walks quickly to Ari’s bed and embraces her.

"Nothing mom. I'm fine," Ari tries to convince her.

Felicity looks her daughter over and raises an eyebrow, "no you aren’t."

Ari gives in, "fine I'm not. Dad told you I've been watching your love story, right? Well I just watched you guys break up after your fake wedding. It hurts mom. I don't understand. You love him and he loves you. Yeah, he lied but he did it for a good reason and he apologized. I just don't get it. You're meant to be."

"Oh honey" Felicity soothes as she wipes a tear from her daughter's cheek, "I'm sorry. That was a painful and hard time for all of us."

"Then why would you do it?" Ari tearfully questions.

"Because I was scared" Felicity confesses, "I saw how he just walked away from his son even though he loved him. And I thought to myself if he could walk away from William, then he could walk away from me too. And if we ever had a child, he could walk away from them too. I couldn't bear the thought of being a single parent. I mean, I knew the relationship I had with my own mom, who was also a single parent, and I couldn't take the thought of my own child harboring the same thoughts for me as I had of my mother. After being abandoned by my own father, I couldn't bear the thought of him leaving too. So, I ran before he ever could. I broke my own heart so he never could. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I should've stayed. I should've fought. But I let fear overcome me instead of being brave. I regret that decision every day and I can't help but think about all that time we lost because of my fear."

Now that Ari sees where Felicity is coming from, she offers some advice " maybe you guys needed that time apart. I think you both needed it to grow into the people you are today. Though I don't understand it completely, I now believe there's a reason for that time apart that was bigger than your decision. Maybe if you didn't have that time of being broken up, something worse would've happened later."

Felicity now wipes her own tears, "I hope you're right. Now it's my turn to give you some advice. Don't lose hope in the story. Just keep reminding yourself that you already know the ending."

"And it's a great one isn't it?" Ari asks.

"The greatest."

Ari changes the subject, "Mom I asked dad this question, but now it's your turn. Are you ready?" Felicity nods, "when did you know you loved dad?"

"The day he brought me a bullet ridden laptop."

Ari sighs that's not the answer she was looking for "no, I'm talking about the day you knew you wanted to spend forever with him."

"Uh that's a hard one..." Felicity searches back through her memories, "there are so many great moments between us. My first instinct would be to say the day he saved me from The Count. Seeing that he left the court just to save me and then later when he said, 'he had you and he was going to hurt you. There was no choice to make' I was like putty in his hands. Now that I think back on it, I think the moment I really knew he was the one came later though. For a while Barry and Sara both got in the way and we sort of drifted apart a little. One day though, I realized I was jealous of Sara. She was amazing after all. She seemed like she was everything and I felt like I was nothing."

"But Sara could never replace you. You are everything to dad," Ari assures her.

"I know that now, but at the time I didn't. Anyway, one day I took a bullet for Sara. Oliver, Sara, and Diggle all brought me back to the bunker. Diggle gave me some heavy pain killers while Sara stitched me up. When she was finished, your dad and I had a moment alone. Sometime during that conversation, he looked at me with those big blue eyes and put his hand on my cheek. He reassured me by saying 'you will always be my girl Felicity.' I may have been drugged up with painkillers, but I knew. You see, before I knew I had strong feelings for him. I think I even knew deep down that I loved him, but in that moment, I knew I wanted to be his girl. I wanted to be his girl for the rest of my life."

"That's beautiful mom. I love that moment too. I think I watched it like four times in a row" Ari confesses.

Felicity smiles fondly at the memory, "It is isn't it? Okay enough of the trip down memory lane for now, I need to get to the bunker. I'll be ready in an hour or so. Do you want to come with?"

Ari responds, "yes of course."

The second they reach the bunker, Ari makes a beeline for her computer. She can't help it, she's too addicted to the story to stop for even a minute. She spends every spare moment she has watching another memory.

The next scene in chronological order that pops up on her computer is actually of her parents in the bunker. It starts out with her mom and dad drinking wine and eating Chinese. Then Felicity asks for help to try the salmon ladder. Suddenly they begin kissing and then there goes Felicity's shirt. In embarrassed panic, Ari yelps and frantically closes out the footage. Unfortunately, she isn’t fast enough to keep the image from being etched in her brain.

Felicity senses the commotion and looks over at Ari, "hey are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Ari practically squeaks.

She looks horrified though, so Felicity doesn't believe her. She walks over to her and stands next to her. "What is it?" Felicity asks in her mom voice that means she isn't going anywhere until she gets some answers.

"Nothing" Ari says still mortified, "I was just watching another one of your memories and I just saw... I just saw..."

"What did you see?" Felicity demands.

All Ari can do is glance over at the salmon ladder. Her eyes are still wide with shock.

It only takes a second for Felicity to realize exactly what she saw. Now it's Felicity’s turn to be petrified. "Oh noooo... no, no, no... you didn't see... did you see...? oh frack!"

"You guys... did it... in here..." Ari says as her nose wrinkles in disgust, "is no place sacred?!"

Felicity is still very flustered, "you were never ever supposed to know about that... in fact you are the only person who does know now."

Ari quickly gets up and starts walking away, "I'm going to go disinfect... everything."

"But it's been like 25 years," Felicity argues.

"Trust me, 25 years is not long enough" Ari calls loudly back from the supply room. Felicity is most definitely still mortified, but she manages to laugh at her daughter's obvious horror.

About a month after discovering her surveillance power, Ari gives her parents a pre- video-slideshow surprise. She convinces Barry to drop all three of them off at a very important location

"Keep your eyes closed," Ari commands. She situates her parents in the proper position. The same exact position they were in so many years ago. Standing face to face with each other in the park where they were once married. Today is sun is shining brightly. It reflects off the water. It makes the whole world appear brighter. "Okay. Open your eyes."

Her parents take in their surroundings. It doesn’t take long before they realize exactly where they are standing.

"Do you know why I brought you here? Do you know where we are?" Arianna happily asks.

Felicity’s eyes are instantly misty, "How could I forget?"

"I know I never could," Oliver gleams as he takes Felicity’s hands in his, "it was definitely the greatest day of my life."

“Why this day in particular?” Ari wonders, “I mean, I get it. It was your wedding day, but there’s a lot of other days that were great too.”

“Because it was the first day of forever with the love of my life” Oliver radiantly replies, “Because of that day, you became a possibly. Because of that day, William got a mom again. That day helped me see that even through all the terrible things in my past, I was still worthy of love and hope. I was still worthy of the greatest thing that had ever happened to me; your mom.”

“What about you mom? Was it the best day or your life for you?”

Felicity agrees wholeheartedly, “most definitely. For all the same reasons and more.”

All three of them walk over to the nearest bench. Ari sits in the middle of her parents. They both place an arm around her and hug her tightly. Ari’s whole body fills with warmth and love. Coming here was the best decision she made in a while. Just to be in the place where her parents started their forever, knowing they somehow love each even more now, is a gift more precious than all the riches in the world.


	17. Chapter 17

It's November 28th. Otherwise known in her family as Ari's parent's anniversary. For as many years as she has been able, Ari has always found some way to celebrate her parents on this day. Especially since it is the day she became a possibility. Plus, being able to witness and learn from the love her parents have for each other is definitely something to celebrate.

This year, Grandma Smoak decided to throw a party in her parent’s honor. Ari, Donna, Thea and William spend all morning decorating and preparing the house while her parents go out for breakfast. Once her parents return and all the preparations are all finished, they all have a small lunch together.

Guests start arriving for the party early in the afternoon. Some of them traveled from quite a distance so, of course, they want more time to spend with their friends. It’s a good thing Oliver and Felicity have a fairly large house, because most of their loved ones make it to the party. If Ari had to guess, she’d say there were over fifty people in attendance.

Although Ari loves parties and having guests over, she is slightly relieved when the guests all head home. As the day is quickly winding down, Ari realizes so are the hours in which she has to give her parents their gift. As she enters into the now empty living room, she sees the echoes of her parents’ past anniversaries. One particular anniversary comes to the forefront of her brain. It's almost as if the figures of her and her parents’ younger selves are standing right in front of her. The memories play out right before her eyes with as much clarity as the days they happened…

<\-----<<

It's fairly early on a Saturday morning but Oliver is already awake. He grew tired of lying in bed and thinking, so he decided to make breakfast for his girls.

"Whatcha doing dad?" nine-year-old Ari startles her father from one of the barstool seats. She's sitting in her usual spot along the counter that separates the dining room from the kitchen.

Oliver nearly drops the egg carton he just picked up. After he takes a moment to let his heart rate slow, he wonders how his daughter could possibly have snuck up on him. Either his senses have dulled in his days of normalcy, or Ari has gained a lot more stealth.

"Ari when did you get up?" Oliver questions with a small grin.

“Just now. I heard noises in the kitchen and thought I would come check it out,” she explains.

“You gotta stop sneaking up on me like that” Oliver warns, “it's the second time this week.”

“I'm sorry daddy. I thought you had better senses though,” Ari teases.

“Normally I do” Oliver grumbles slightly, “So what are you up to today?”

Ari sits up straighter in excitement, “I’m glad you asked, because I have an idea for something to do today but I need your help.”

Oliver can’t help but smile widely. He loves his daughter’s crazy ideas she comes up with. They always lead to some interesting adventures. “and what is this idea?”

“Well, do you remember a couple months ago when I was first starting to learn piano and I forced you and mom to sing a duet to _Sunday Morning_?” she questions.

Oliver grins and rolls his eyes, “how could I forget? You know I’m not much of a singer, but you worked me over with those puppy dog eyes until I gave in and sang a duet with your mom.”

“Come on dad, you have a great voice” Ari encourages, “and mom loved it so much.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.”

“On that note, I know your anniversary is coming up and I had an idea for a present you could give to Mom. I know she loves to hear me play piano and, even though you don’t like it much, she loves to hear you sing. So, what if I learn a song on piano and you sing a song for her?” Ari suggests.

Oliver doesn’t know how to respond. Ari is right when she said he doesn’t like to sing much. As he looks into the big beautiful pleading blue eyes of his daughter, he doesn’t know how he could possibly say no to her request. Then he thinks of Felicity. He knows she would be thrilled by this gift. She is always saying she wished he would sing more.

Oliver lets out a long sigh before grumbling, “you girls are going to be the death of me I swear.”

Ari’s eyebrows raise and a smile begins to grow, “so does that mean you’ll do it?”

“I suppose,” he agrees flatly.

“yes!” Ari exclaims, “I know just the song to use too. It’s one you have told me many times I reminds you of mom and your love story. I’ve even been practicing it for a few weeks in hopes you’d say yes. It’s Before You Called Me Baby by Caitlyn Smith.”

“I do love that song, but it’s arranged for a girl to sing. Will it even work for me?”

Ari dismissively waves her hand, “oh don’t worry. I’ve got it all figured it.”

Oliver can’t help but be curious about what his daughter has up her sleeve. In less than a year, she has become a very talented piano player. Somehow, he is skeptically excited to see how this duet will turn out.

After nearly two weeks of practicing, the anniversary day arrives. As soon as Ari wakes up, she runs to her parents’ room. She jumps on their bed and gives them both a big hug.

“Mom! Dad! Wake up!” she demands happily. They both grumble about how early it is. “I can’t wait any longer. I want to give mom her present.”

Felicity’s head shoots up, “present? What present?”

“Something Dad and I have been working on” Ari answers as she pulls on her mom’s arm to get her up, “now come on. Let’s go.”

“Can’t we at least get dressed first?” Oliver whines.

“Fine. I’m giving you five minutes and if you aren’t downstairs, I will come and hunt you down,” Ari warns and then leaves the room.

“Demanding that one is,” Felicity sleepily comments as she gets out of bed.

“She is your kid after all” Oliver jokes and Felicity playfully slaps his arm.

While her parents are getting dressed, Arianna prepares the piano. She also brings in two chairs and sets one by the piano and one a few feet away. She hears two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs so she runs to them. She grabs her mother’s arm and leads her to the empty chair directly across from the piano. Oliver takes a seat in the other empty chair and Ari sits at the piano.

“What is this?” Felicity asks.

“Something Dad and I have been working on for a few weeks” Ari responds, “it took a little convincing for him to do it, but I think you’re really going to like it.”

“Bear with me, this is definitely out of my comfort zone and I want nothing but the best for you. Every time I hear this song, I think of you and where we started this journey. It reminds me of how much I love you and how far we’ve come. Happy anniversary baby,” Oliver says and Felicity lets out a small but excited giggle. Ari begins to play and Oliver sings…

Sure is hard to remember life before you walked in the picture

I was a sad Mona Lisa with a crooked frame standing on my platform, waiting for my train

I was messed up, wondering, broke down, stumbling, running for my life

Was heart broke, hard up, a long string of bad luck searching with no end in sight

Before you called me baby before you looked me in the eyes

I had nothing left to save me before you called me, before you called me

Before you called me baby

Oliver stands up from his chair and slowly walks over to Felicity.

It's like the walls soaked down and the lights turned on and the band started playing a different song

I was baptized by the fire in your kiss no I've never, ever felt like this

Felicity cheers when Oliver hits a high note. Tears are already welling up in her eyes. By now, Oliver has made it to her chair and holds a hand out for her. She takes it gladly and they begin dancing while Oliver continues to sing…

Before you called me baby before you looked me in the eyes

I had nothing left to save me Before you called me, before you called me

Before you called me baby Before you called me baby

I was drowning, wasted, lost and jaded, hanging by a thread

Even Oliver has tears in his eyes now. The next few lines are always the hardest for him to sing. As he sings them, he can’t stop his voice from breaking. He holds his heart to keep the pain of the past at bay.

I was sinking, shook up, and almost gave up on this lonely heart in my chest

Then Oliver places his arm back around his wife’s hip but not before wiping a happy tear from her eyes. Their daughter joins in and helps him sing the last words of the song.

Before you called me baby Before you looked me in the eyes

I had nothing left to save me before you called me, before you called me

There’s not a dry eye in the room as Ari plays the last notes of the song. She stands up and runs to her parents who both embrace her.

“Best anniversary present ever” Felicity beams, “I love you both so much.”

“I’m glad I talked Dad into it,” Ari says.

“Me too” Felicity agrees then looks up at Oliver and teases, “who would've ever thought Oliver Queen would turn onto a big gushy marshmallow that would sing for his wife and daughter.”

“Me? A gushy marshmallow? I don't know what you're talking about,” he shyly grins and then leans down to give his wife a kiss.

>>\------->

The echoes of the past fade away and Ari is left alone in an empty living room. She quickly remembers her mission and begins to set up the video slideshow. Once everything is ready to go, she calls for her parents. They enter the room hand in hand staring at each other lovingly.

“What is it honey?” Felicity asks.

“I have one more gift for you” she informs them as she motions for them to have a seat on the couch, “I hope it’s the best one yet.”

“I’m sure it will be, although my current favorite was when you were nine and you and your father sang for me,” Felicity says.

Ari grins, “I was just thinking about that one today actually. Anyway, I figure I should probably explain this one to you first. You guys know I have been watching your love story. Well, I decided to save the best parts and turn it into a video powerpoint. I even put it to songs that were popular at the time you fell in love.”

“What? Really? That’s incredible!” Oliver says with wonder.

“It’s long though” Ari warns, “since it’s your whole love story. It’s about two and a half hours long. I hope you have time for that.”

“We have all the time in the world,” Felicity assures. She pats the empty spot next to her on the couch. Inviting Ari to join. They all snuggle in and get comfortable. Ari uses the remote to start the show. It opens with the first time Oliver saw Felicity while he was still technically lost at sea.

After only about thirty seconds of beginning the show Felicity says, “wait, wait, wait pause it.” Ari sighs but uses he powers to pause. Felicity’s head whips to Oliver’s. “When was this?”

Oliver answers with a smile, “I’ve always wanted to tell you, but it never seemed like the right time. Our meeting in your cubicle was not the first time I ever saw you. That was before I officially came home from the island. I only saw you for a few seconds, but it was enough to make a rather large impression. I thought you were amazing and cute. Somehow I think I already started to fall for you in that instant.”

Felicity gazes at Oliver with loving eyes, all she can say is “wow,” before she turns her attention back to the screen. Ari plays it again. The next scene is their first meeting. Instantly Oliver and Felicity have ear to ear grins.

Felicity cringes when she hears herself babble, “Ugh my babbling never gets any less embarrassing.”

Oliver disagrees, “I love your babbling. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you.”

The video continues on and Ari begins laughing, “can I just say, spilling a latte on your laptop and saying ‘my coffee shop is in a bad neighborhood’ is the worst excuse I’ve ever heard.”

Oliver sighs, “yeah, yeah. She had me so tongue tied, I said the first thing I could think of.”

“Well I thought the excuse was adorable,” Felicity says with a laugh.

“It was pretty adorable, wasn’t it?” Oliver states with a cute smile.

“Okay let’s continue on please,” Ari plays as she continues the video.

Minutes later, the moment that plays out is when Felicity helps Oliver identify an arrow.

Along with the video Oliver whispers, “you’re remarkable” he looks over at his wife and says, “you still are and always will be.”

She shyly grins and answers back, “thank you for remarking on it.”

Ari just holds her chest and says, “awwww.”

A scene that Ari can’t help but comment on is when Oliver brings Felicity Vertigo to analyze. “This scene cracks me up every time. Mom’s pretending she doesn’t notice how cute and fit dad is, and then the ‘why is it in a syringe’ and ‘I ran out of sports bottles’ comments,” Ari cackles even more.

“Okay that was pretty funny” Felicity agrees with a laugh, “I was just flabbergasted by the lies he was telling. They were so ridiculous. It was laughable.”

“Hey! Quit teasing!” Oliver says in fake offense, “you had me under your spell already. You’re just lucky I could even make out complete sentences.”

Felicity teases more, “if that’s your excuse.”

“It is and it’s a pretty good one if you ask me” Oliver pouts, “you don’t know your own powers Felicity Smoak.”

“Hey! It’s Felicity Smoak-Queen now and don’t you forget it,” she scolds.

Oliver smiles and raises his arms in surrender, “I would never do such a thing.”

The whole family laughs and the Olicity movie continues on. Later, another scene comes into focus that gets everyone’s attention. The day Felicity found Oliver shot and bleeding in her car. The day she learned Oliver Queen was The Hood.

“Can I just say, you almost gave me a heart attack when I found you bleeding in my car?” Felicity comments.

“I’m sure I did” Oliver points to the screen, “clearly it’s a sight to see.”

It’s Felicity’s turn to pause the powerpoint, “why did you pick me? Of all the people you could have chosen to help, why me?”

“Honestly, it was an easy choice. You helped so much already and I wanted you in the loop. I also knew I could trust you beyond a shadow of a doubt. I didn’t know it then, but unconsciously I knew I needed you in my life more than anyone else. It’s like my body knew that you would save me and I’m not just talking about the wound.”

Felicity accepts his answer with a smile and plays the show again.

Next up is Felicity attempting to convince Oliver to let her help gather information at a casino.

“I did not want you to go to that casino” Oliver states, “I was afraid you would get hurt.”

“But if she wouldn’t have gone,” Ari argues, “we wouldn’t have gotten this iconic line…” Just then the TV plays the ‘it feels really good having you inside me’ line. Arianna explodes with laughter and Felicity looks so embarrassed. “I love that line. The first time I saw it, I watched again and again. It’s hilarious.”

“Yeah,” Oliver chuckles, “I was so stunned, I didn’t know what to say. Now I think it was hilarious, but back then I was just shocked.”

“I was mortified back then and I’m still mortified now” Felicity says trying to cover her face with her hand out of embarrassment.

Another moment that Ari feels she must comment, is when Oliver promoted Felicity to be his Executive Assistant.

“Aw the first time you yelled at dad” she says with mock sweetness, “you did not want that promotion mom.”

“Nope,” Felicity confirms, “it’s not what I went to school for and it was a step down in my book. Secretly, I did like the idea of working more closely with your father though.”

When on-screen Felicity asks if she could get him a cup of coffee, and both Oliver and Ari shake their heads violently and then look at each other and laugh because they know the wrath of Felicity by now.

“I loved that you broke the coffee maker so you wouldn’t have to get him coffee” Ari says, “any other person would’ve gotten fired for that but he just rolls his eyes at you.”

“See I told you I was already way too far gone by that point,” Oliver states.

“Is this why still don’t get dad coffee?” Ari asks.

“Hey, I do get him coffee sometimes” Felicity answers defensively.

“Yeah, yeah. Sure you do Mom” Ari says as her and Oliver laugh.

Several minutes later, one of Ari’s favorite scenes comes into view. The moment Oliver left the courtroom to save Felicity from The Count.

“This is the moment,” Ari says affectionately.

“What moment?” Felicity asks.

“The moment dad knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved you.”

Felicity turns to Oliver, “this moment? Why this moment?”

Oliver stares directly into Felicity’s eyes, “because seeing you like that, I had never felt more panicked in my whole life. I knew if I lost you, I would never recover. In that moment, I knew I wanted to be with you forever because the thought of being without you was too much to take.”

Immediately the show continues on to the moment in the bunker right after The Count took Felicity. Past Oliver utters the words, ‘he had you and he was going to hurt you there was no choice to make.’ Ari echoes the same words.

“Can I just say this whole slideshow thing is unbelievably incredible” Oliver marvels, “hearing my daughter echo the same words I said to my wife all those years ago… then add the music… there’s nothing like it… there’s so many emotions going through my head right now, I don’t even know how to process it.”

Ari pauses the slide show, “is it too much? Do you need a break?”

Oliver squeezes her shoulder, “No it’s okay. Keep going.” Ari does just that. 

Just a few short scenes later, they arrive at the moment everything changed for Felicity.

“Here’s Mom’s moment that she knew she loved you,” Ari says.

“Really? This one?” Oliver questions, “I would’ve thought you’d pick a different one.”

“There’s a lot of good ones. It’s so hard to pick” Felicity informs, “but after being jealous of Sara and taking a bullet there was a lot going through my head. When you said ‘you’ll always be my girl Felicity’ that’s when I realized that I did want to be your girl. Not in the way you were thinking but in the forever way.”

“I love that” Oliver states happily.

The video continues until It reaches the time Oliver takes Felicity to the Queen mansion to try and thwart Slade Wilson.

Ari turns to Oliver, “okay, but do you know the noise I made the first time I watched this when you said ‘he took the wrong woman.’ It was like a scream/holler.”

“Oh, I can imagine” Felicity says, “because it was the same noise that I made internally.”

“Did you know he was going to say that?” Ari wonders.

Felicity answers with, “I knew that he had a plan to thwart Slade, but I had no idea he would inadvertently profess his love for me.”

“In my defense, I didn’t know I was going to say those things either” Oliver states, “they just came out before I could stop them.”

“So you really surprised everyone, even yourself?” Ari asks.

“Yeah I sure did. Not my finest moment” Oliver admits.

Felicity disagrees, “it wasn’t your worst moment either.”

Oliver smiles, “that is true.”

More time and scenes flash before the Queen family until Oliver and Felicity’s first date make its appearance.

“I love your first date. You guys look so in love already,” Ari comments.

“That’s because we were” Oliver states. The scene plays on.

“It was red! It was red! I love that line,” Ari says excitedly.

“I love that line too” Felicity agrees, “my heart melted so much.”

Oliver says sadly, “and then the date got blown up.”

“Yeah but would it really be us if something crazy didn’t happen?” Felicity ponders with a grin.

“No, it wouldn’t. Chaos is kind of our thing isn’t it?” Oliver asks.

Felicity nods, “It is and, to be honest, I don’t think I’d have it any other way.”

The slideshow keeps going. Felicity discovers something new when the scene of Oliver seeing her and Ray together and leaving pops up on the screen.

“Wait a second,” Felicity demands.

Ari pauses the show with her mind, “What?”

“You came for me when I was with Ray?... gosh that sounds terrible… but did you?” Felicity asks Oliver.

“Yes” Oliver confirms, “I came to tell you everything. That I loved you and wanted to be with you, but it was too late.”

“I’m sorry” Felicity says regretfully, “if I had known…”

Oliver stops her, “it’s okay love. Everything turned out exactly the way it was supposed to.”

“I’m still sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m still so grateful for the ending we got. Everything turned out perfectly,” Oliver reassures her.

In the next noteworthy moment, it’s Oliver’s turn to discover a new detail. Felicity yelled at the head of the League of Assassins.

“Wait?! You confronted Ra’s Al Ghul about us?!” Oliver says half shocked and half panicked.

“Yes, I was sick of him making all these demands and taking you away from us” Felicity nonchalantly says.

“So you confronted an assassin?!”

Felicity hesitates, “Yes…..?”

“Felicity you could’ve gotten yourself killed!” Oliver quietly yells with concern.

Felicity argues, “but I didn’t. I’m okay. Are you mad at me?”

Oliver seems confused, “yes… no… just surprised, but also proud. My girl confronted the head of the League of Assassins. Its pretty badass” he says with pride.

“You know it,” Felicity states confidently.

The family remains mostly silent until Oliver and Felicity’s first big argument as a couple.

“Oh yes, who could forget this freak out,” Oliver reminisces.

Felicity shrugs, “yeah that was a big one. I thought I was losing myself and I was afraid by how much I was changing.”

“Thank goodness for your mom though” Oliver says, “I’m glad I got to see that conversation. I love the advice she gave.”

“And I love that she was right” Felicity admits, “we did find ourselves in each other. And both of us are so much better for knowing and loving each other.”

Ari adds, “and now I know exactly how real love is supposed to be. So, thank you both for figuring it out and for never giving up on each other.”

Oliver happily says, “you are very welcome.”

Emotions run high when the Olicity movie makes it to the moment Felicity is shot.

“This hospital scene always breaks my heart. Were you really afraid Dad didn’t want to marry you?” Ari questions.

“Yeah I really was.” Felicity confirms, “I mean I woke up and the ring was gone. Then I waited a long time for him to show up in my room. I had a lot of time to worry and of course I worried that maybe being paralyzed was too much for him. It was too much for me even, and I was the one who had to learn to live with it.”

Oliver apologizes, “I’m so sorry I left you alone for so long. I was just battling with my own guilt. It was never about me leaving you.”

“I know that now” Felicity says certainly, “but at the time I was a little unsure. Thank you so much for never even thinking about leaving me. A lesser man would.”

“It’s a good thing your hold on me is so strong. I hope you never doubt me again. No matter what happens, I could never and will never leave you” Oliver vows, “I’m glue baby. You said that to me once and now I’m saying it to you. You are still stuck with me.”

Felicity smiles broadly, “no person I’d rather be stuck with.”

Everyone focuses intensely on the show as it makes its way to Oliver and Felicity’s break up.

“Well that was…excruciating to watch again,” Oliver sadly states.

“Yeah living through it was painful enough,” Felicity agrees and she frowns harder, “I just have to say that I’m so sorry for it. I never should’ve broken up with you in the first place. I should’ve stayed and worked it out. I was just so hurt and scared. I just needed some time. And in the end, I just costed us more time we could have had with each other.”

Oliver tries to comfort her, “I still believe that everything we went through happened for a reason. Even this. Please don’t hold onto your regret over this. Yes, I wish we could have had that time to be together but we needed that time to grow into the people we became. Who knows, maybe if we had stayed together then, something bad would have happened and we wouldn’t be as in love as we still are now. Just remember where we are now.”

Felicity seems to lighten up, “how could I forget? We are sitting here after nearly 20 years of marriage still as in love as ever. We have a beautiful daughter, and son, and a great and full life. I guess you’re right I wouldn’t change it, any of it, if it led us to this moment.”

The movie now takes them on the long and difficult journey back to one another. This leads them to the day Felicity began tutoring William

“I love that how excited you got about tutoring William.” Ari comments, “Then dad made monte cristos for you guys. I can tell that’s when you could see it. You were a family.”

Oliver nods, “yeah when I saw Felicity and William together and how much of a bond they had after such a short period of time, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed Felicity back in my life and in our lives. All of us needed a family. Especially after all the hardships we faced.”

Felicity continues, “then he showed up at my apartment with that cute little smiley face with glasses keychain. I knew I needed him back. I was finally ready for everything. To potentially be a step mom and to let love back in. This time I vowed I would never let it go. So far, I’ve kept that vow and I know I will always keep it.”

“You better,” Oliver says with a smile.

The slideshow now begins to draw to a close. The next, and possibly most important moment, makes its appearance in the screen. The wedding.

“Geez even your wedding was an emotional roller coaster” Ari states, “Dad wanted to marry you, then you said no but only because you were scared.”

Oliver takes over, “and then Nazis came and almost killed us. So, I realized if Felicity didn’t want to marry me it wasn’t important. All that mattered was us being together.”

Felicity explains next, “and then at Iris and Barry’s wedding, I realized my fears didn’t matter and that I did want to be married to him more than anything.”

“So Uncle John married both couples at once.” Ari continues, “I like that he was the one to perform the ceremony. He was great at it. Regardless of how it happened, your wedding was beautiful.”

“Yeah right along the water with perfect scenery. We couldn’t have picked a better place” Felicity gushes.

Just as they mention the wedding scene, it begins to play before their very eyes. Oliver and Felicity both echo the words on the screen to each other. It’s almost as if they are renewing their vows. Ari’s eyes fill to the brim with happy tears. Oliver and Felicity kiss on the couch as their wedding counterparts kiss on the screen.

The very last scene of the slideshow is them dancing at their reception while staring at deeply into each other’s eyes. As the slideshow fades away, they whole family takes a moment to wipe their happy tears away.

“What do you think?” Ari asks.

Felicity smiles, “I take back my earlier statement. This is my favorite anniversary present ever.”

“Do you understand the gift you have just given us?” Oliver asks, “it means so much more than any other gift because it is our past brought to life.”

“And when I am old and forget certain details, I can go back to watch this and remember.”

“Would it be bad if we wanted to watch it again?” Oliver asks shyly.

Ari laughs, “go ahead you can watch it as many times as you want.”

She presses play and leaves her parents alone to watch their love story unfold once more.


	18. Chapter 18

A knock on the front door of her house awakens Ari from her current state of day dreaming. She is supposed to be watching over her mother, who is currently napping on the couch. Her task is to make sure when she wakes, she doesn't eat or drink anything. Ari grew bored of watching her mother sleep, so naturally her mind started drifting, worrying really, about how the events of today may unravel.

She pulls herself off the couch, careful not to disturb her mom, and makes her way to the door. As she opens it, she is met with a pleasant surprise.

"JJ! What are you doing here?!" Ari exclaims with a whisper. She motions for him to come inside and leads him into the dining room as to not wake Felicity.

"I just finished my Argus training" JJ explains, "I'm officially an Argus agent!"

Ari embraces JJ in a hug, "that's great! I'm so proud of you! That doesn't really explain why you're here though."

"I wanted you to be the first to know that my first assignment is here in Star City. I'm moving home," JJ announces.

"Are you serious?!" Ari enthusiastically asks.

"Dead serious. I'm looking at apartments today," JJ informs her.

"I'm so happy" Ari gleams, "I get my best friend back."

"You sure do" JJ says before changing the subject, "I saw that your mom's asleep. Unless she's changed a whole lot in the past few years, that's kind of usual for her isn't it?"

Ari immediately becomes serious, "it is. She's actually having surgery today. They have to go in and replace her spinal implant. The old one has become outdated and started glitching out recently."

"Oh I'm sorry" JJ apologizes, "is this a bad time? I should've waited to tell you."

Ari stops him, "no it's okay. I'm glad you came. I needed some good news today."

The corners of JJ's mouth curve into a small smile then retract. His expression is replaced with worry, "is she going to be okay? Are you worried?"

"It's a fairly minor procedure so it's pretty low risk. But it is her spine and, of course, with any procedure there is still some risk. So yeah, I'm worried. I'm sure she'll be fine but I'm still a little scared," Ari admits.

JJ pulls her into a reassuring hug before saying, "it's going to be okay Ari. Your mom is Felicity Smoak-Queen. She's one of the toughest people I know. She'll get through this no problem. You'll see."

Ari pulls away from the hug and wipes a single tear from her cheek, "I sure hope you're right."

JJ lightens the mood, "aren't I always?"

Ari playfully shoves his shoulder, "yeah right. You wish you were. It's me who's always right."

"Whatever you say," JJ laughs.

Ari's phone starts ringing. It's her alarm. She swipes the screen to dismiss it then looks up at JJ again, "that's my cue. I need to get my mom up and get ready to go. My dad will be here in fifteen minutes to pick us up and take us to the hospital."

"Okay I'll leave you to it" JJ says, "good luck today. Text me and let me know how everything turns out."

"I will."

"And now that we live in the same town, we definitely need to hang out more. Shall we start with say... Big Belly Burger?" JJ suggests. He knows it's her favorite fast food restaurant.

"Big Belly Burger for sure," Ari agrees with a huge grin. JJ hugs Ari once more then exits the front door.

Ari shakes out her whole body, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. No matter how little or how much time passes between visits with JJ, he always seems to give her butterflies. She sighs. Thinking again about the age gap and the fact that he doesn't see her the same way. She brushes past the pang of pain to focus on the task at hand; preparing her mother for surgery.

Ari walks to the couch and kneels in front of Felicity. Gently she shakes her until her eyes flutter open. Ari is met with two tired, but beautiful, blue eyes.

"Hey Mom" Ari croons, "it's time to get up. Dad will be here any minute to pick us up for your surgery."

Felicity mutters a tired "okay." She gets off the couch and heads upstairs to throw on a change of clothes.

Ari is right. Oliver arrives just a few moments after Felicity reappears from her room in a new outfit. They all jump in the car and head to the hospital. William meets them there. He just finished his shift, so he still has his dark blue scrubs on. The whole family is escorted to a small prep room.

Within an hour, Felicity is prepped and ready for surgery. The anesthesiologist and the doctor have also both been in to talk to everyone about the procedure and what to expect. Now all that's left is for someone to come in and escort her out.

As if on cue, the nurse arrives. "It's time," she says. Now is the time for the family to say their goodbyes.

William begins while giving Felicity a hug, "good luck Mom you'll do great."

"Thank you. I sure hope so," Felicity replies.

Oliver is next, "bye baby. I love you so much. I'll see you after."

Felicity clings to her husband for one second longer, "I love you too. I'll see you then."

Ari is last. For some inexplicable reason her eyes fill with tears. Out of all her family, she is definitely the most worried something bad may happen.

"Goodbye Mom," she chokes out. The tears spill over before she can stop them.

"Honey what is it?" Felicity asks her daughter as she reaches for her and wipes her tears away.

"I don't know mom. All of a sudden, I just got scared. What if something happens to you?"

"Oh honey" Felicity comforts while stroking Ari's cheek, "nothing is going to happen to me. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep. There's always a risk. You can't know that for sure."

Felicity can't lie. Her daughter is too smart for that. She sighs, "Okay I won't promise that. But no matter what happens, I love you to the moon and back. And everything will be okay. I believe that. Just never forget that okay?"

"I won't. See you later. Don't forget to come back to me... to us." Ari says as she embraces her mother.

As the nurse wheels Felicity away, she blows her family a kiss and whispers, "I won't forget. I love you all."

Oliver, Ari, and William are all led to the surgical waiting room. They are instructed to wait there until the surgery is finished. Luckily, there are monitors up that show which stage of surgery Felicity is in. This helps calm the family a little. With each passing minute, however, Arianna's anxiety rises. A few hours is way too large of a time period to worry about a loved one. Ari’s brother and father try to talk to her. It doesn't help. She tries to distract herself with a book, a movie, her homework, and even a Smoak Tech project. Nothing works. Finally, she resorts to pacing until someone calls for Oliver and family.

Ari breathes her first sigh of relief in ages when they are informed that Felicity is okay and in recovery. They are led to the hospital room where Felicity will spend the night and are told she will be in shortly.

Four minutes and thirty-two seconds later, Felicity makes her appearance. As they wheel her mother into the room on a hospital bed, Ari is yanked back to the past. Back to the last time she saw her mother lifeless on a stretcher...

<\------<<

A blood curdling scream wakes Oliver from a dreamless sleep. He has only heard that noise from his daughter once in his life. When she fell off her bike and slashed her head open at five years old. It is more than enough to send him sprinting as fast as his legs will carry him into her room. He tries to figure out what could have possibly happened in the minute since Felicity went in to comfort her from a dream. As he runs, he tries to prepare himself for what he may find. Nothing could prepare him for the sight that lies before him. His wife lifeless on the ground and his hyperventilating twelve-year-old daughter standing above her.

"I killed her!" she shouts with horror as tears stream down her face. Oliver throws himself on the ground and lunges at Felicity's neck to check her pulse. He is overcome with relief when he feels it.

"She's not dead, just unconscious" he states, "I'm going to call Barry. Caitlin will know what to do."

As he dials the phone, he looks up at his daughter. She is frozen in place and sobbing uncontrollably. For a second, he is torn between running to his daughter and taking care of his injured wife. That's when Barry picks up and he tells him the situation. Within seconds Barry arrives and carries Felicity away.

Oliver knows his time is limited with his daughter before Barry comes back to take them both away but he uses this time to engulf her in the biggest hug.

"It's okay," he soothes.

"No, it’s not! I hurt her" she cries in shock, "I didn't mean to. I was having a bad dream and I must've shocked her in my sleep. I'm so sorry."

Oliver strokes her hair and tries to think of something to say.

"I hurt her... I hurt her... I can't believe I hurt her..." she repeats in disbelief as the tears flow freely down her face. Barry flashes in then. "Lock me up in the dampening chamber," Ari demands to Barry.

"No," Oliver firmly disagrees.

"Yes" she argues in panic, "I'm not safe right now. I'm not safe. I can't control... it's not safe... please."

Oliver doesn't want to put her away. He knows from experience the toll it could take on her, locking her up right now. However, based on the amount of distress she is currently in, it seems like the only option. He nods in agreement.

Barry whisks Ari away and within the same minute, he is back for Oliver. Oliver and Barry arrive to see Caitlin already working on Felicity. Knowing his wife is in capable hands, Oliver heads straight for his daughter. He knows she will be beside herself right now and he needs to comfort her.

On his way down the hall to the dampening room, he is flooded with memories. He can’t believe it’s barely been a year since they were here last. When his daughter’s powers first became too much for her. He is sure she will be nearly as distraught as the last time they were here. The speakers to the room confirm his suspicions as he approaches the door. Ari’s cries are deafening. Oliver practically runs to her and holds her.

Oliver has no idea how much time has passed, but is daughter is still inconsolable. Nothing he does helps her. He knows the only thing that can calm her right now is her mother. He knows what he has to do.

He slowly releases her before softly telling her, “I’m going to go check on your mom. Will you be okay here?” She nods through her tears. He kisses her on the forehead and before exiting the room says “I’ll be back soon.”

To his surprise, Caitlin is standing on the other end of the door. Oliver is so startled he jumps back and clutches his heart, “Caitlin what are you doing here? How’s Felicity?”

“I’m sorry to scare you” Caitlin apologizes, “she was just waking up when I left to come check on you two. Ari zapped her with a fairly high voltage but she’s going to be okay. I’ll want to keep her here for at least a day just to make sure there are no long-term effects. How’s Arianna?”

Oliver breathes a sigh of relief for his wife but instantly tenses again for his daughter. “She’s not good at all. I’ve tried everything. Nothing works. I can’t calm her down. She needs her mother,” he says in utter defeat.

“Can I try?” Caitlin asks and Oliver nods. As she enters the room and approaches Ari, she notices her hair is shorter now. Shorter than she has ever seen it. It used to flow all the way to her low back but now it rests just a few inches past her shoulders. Somehow it makes her look older, more mature. Her hair cascades over her face as if she's trying to hide her tears and anguish with it.

Ari peaks up at Caitlin through her hair and pleads through her tears, "take my powers away. You have to find a way to take my powers away. I don't want them anymore. I can't do this.”

Caitlin drops down to her knees so she is at eye level with the sobbing child, "I'm going to be completely honest with you because I know you can handle it. I won't take your powers from you."

"No Caitlin! You have to! I can't take it anymore" Ari cries so desperately, Caitlin nearly gives in. Once the tears lessen Ari questions, "why... Why would I be given these powers if all I manage to do with them is to hurt people and cause destruction? No, I can't do this... please Caitlin help me get rid of them."

"Look Ari, I honestly don't know why we were given these powers. Trust me when I say I did not want my powers at first either. I asked all the same questions you are asking right now. Because at first, I hurt the people I loved most with my powers too. I tried so hard to ignore them and get rid of them but nothing worked. But you know what I have learned? That even though I don't know exactly why any of us were given the powers that we have, I do know we are given them for a reason. I think that reason is because we are the only people on earth who are strong enough and brave enough to handle them. The only people who can turn something that has the potential to be bad and turn it into something incredible. Because somehow and someway the universe knows we were meant for something greater. Even if it doesn't start out that way. So please, don't give up on your gift. Because it's just that; a gift. And with it, you have the ability to make a difference. To save people. To change the world.”

Ari tries to accept the words Caitlin is saying but the guilt is still gnawing away at her, "but I hurt her Caitlin. I hurt my own mother. I hurt the one person I love most in the entire world. How could she ever forgive me? How could she ever look at me again knowing her own child almost killed her? "

Caitlin grabs each of Ari’s arms to reassure her, "I wouldn't worry about that for a second. It was an accident. Your mom knows that. I've seen the love that woman has for you. The one thing I know about a mother's love, is you don't have to deserve it or earn it. It’s unconditional and it’s forever. The only forgiveness needed is that you forgive yourself. And it may take time, but you will."

“I don’t know…” Ari hesitates but her tears slowly reside.

“She’s awake, you know? The first person she asked about was you. She wants to see you. Please let me take you to her,” Caitlin holds out her hand. After a moment Ari places her hand in Caitlin’s. They rise together and make the walk to join Felicity and Oliver.

Once Ari sees her mother looking so frail and weak on the stretcher, she runs to her. She hugs her gently and sobs into her, “I’m so sorry mom… I’m so so sorry.”

Felicity voice is hoarse from the shock but she croaks, “it’s okay baby. You didn’t mean it. I’m okay. That’s all that matters.”

“but I hurt you” Ari bawls, “I hurt you. I never ever wanted to hurt you, but I did.”

Felicity strokes her daughter’s hair, “it’s okay sweetheart. I’m okay. And now we know what you can do in your sleep, we can take precautions. I was thinking maybe Cisco could make a bracelet for you to wear at night to dampen your powers. That way nothing like this ever happens again. Also, I forgive you and I love you and that’s all that matters to me.”

She sinks into her mother’s arms and is flooded with comfort and relief. She somehow always knows exactly what to say.

>>\------>

The hospital staff are locking Felicity’s bed into place when the memory fades from Ari’s mind. She nervously plays with her power dampening bracelet. With everything else going on right now, she just can't handle the added stress of controlling her powers. Both the memories of the past and the stress of the present and enough to overwhelm her. She instantly starts crying.

“Oh honey come here,” Felicity slurs. She is still clearly loopy from the anesthesia.

Ari climbs into the bed with Felicity and rests her head gently on her mom’s shoulder, “I’m sorry Mom. I should be happy, but I just started thinking about when I was twelve and I hurt you. That was the last time I saw you in a hospital bed. I’m glad you’re okay though. You are okay right?”

“Yes honey, I’m okay. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. Ever” she vows while squeezing Ari’s hand, “now how much do I have to bride you to go sneak me in some Big Belly Burger?”

Ari just laughs. Love and relief wash over her. She soaks in the fact that her mother is okay and already acting herself again. Afterall, what’s more Felicity Smoak than demanding Big Belly Burger the instant she awakes from surgery?


	19. Chapter 19

The holiday season is in full swing in the Smoak-Queen household. The halls are decked and lights twinkle from practically every surface. This time of year is always very busy for Ari and her family. Since her mom’s side of the family celebrates Hanukkah and her dad’s celebrates Christmas, there is always double the festivities. Today is December 25th. Hanukkah came earlier in December this year, so today is reserved specifically for Christmas festivities.

Ari sits underneath the Christmas tree waiting for her mom, dad, and brother to wake. William even spent the night last night so he could be with his family on Christmas day. She marvels at the tree and the presents underneath. This year, she and Felicity chose purple and blue lights for the tree. They wanted something different, and they surely got it.

It takes nearly a half an hour for her family to awaken and join her in the living room. They open presents as a family. Then Oliver cooks his family a quick breakfast before the extended family arrives. Shortly thereafter, their house is filled to the brim with loved ones. Donna, Noah, Thea, Roy and their kids, who aren’t really kids anymore, Jonas and Thomas. Even Sara, Ava and Quinn join them since Dinah had to travel for work. Also in attendance are the Diggles. John, Lyla, JJ, and their surprise guest Sara. Sara Diggle actually became an Argus agent before JJ and she was off on a mission overseas. Somehow, she was able to pull the right strings and make it back home for Christmas.

They have a large home-cooked feast. Made by none other than Oliver Queen master chef. They play Christmas games and watch a Christmas movie. The entire extended family is even coaxed into singing Christmas carols led by Arianna. The carol singing is abruptly paused when Ari glances out the window and notices something magnificent. It is snowing. Snow is a somewhat rare occurrence for Star City in December, especially on Christmas day.

Ari stops playing the piano and leans into Quinn who is sitting on her lap. Ari whispers in her ear, “look outside and tell me what you see.”

Everyone gathered around the piano looks at each other in confusion until little Quinn glances out the window and exclaims, “it’s snowing! It’s snowing!”

Everyone quickly turns around to take a look for themselves. They all smile in unison when they realize Quinn is telling the truth. They all bundle up and head to the backyard. There is already a little over an inch of snow on the ground. Enough to have a small snowball fight. 

Ari runs ahead to avoid being in the line of fire. She hits an icy patch, slips, and begins to fall. Her hands fly out in front of her to catch her fall. Suddenly, without even thinking about it, sparks fly out of her hands. To her, and everyone else’s, surprise she is lifted back up from the sparks in her hands alone. She stands in shock, as with the rest of her family, and stares at her hands until the sparks dissipate.

Felicity is the first one to make it to Ari’s side, “what was that?”

Still staring at her hands Ari answers, “I don’t know. I was just trying to catch my fall and the sparks just lifted me up on their own.”

“Has this ever happened before?” Donna asks.

“No Grandma. Nothing like this has ever happened before. This is new.”

“So it looks like you can lift yourself up with this new power?” Oliver guesses.

“It seems like it,” Ari hesitantly confirms.

“This could mean…” William trails off.

“You might be able to…” Thea continues.

“Do you think you can fly?” Sara finally asks.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” Ari says.

She takes off her shoes. The ground is freezing cold and wet but she definitely doesn’t want to ruin the new shoes she just got for Christmas. She turns her focus inward, ignoring the faces of her loved ones who are all staring hopefully at her. She tries to remember the feeling of the sparks. It’s a similar feeling to her electric blasts but it’s also somehow entirely different. It’s more of a constant burning, crackling feeling. Once she feels the same sensation, she opens her eyes. She is rewarded with the same sparks shooting from her hands. It’s a gorgeous sight. It makes her hands look almost exactly like a sparkler on the fourth of July. She pushes her hands away from her and shockingly the sparks push back with double the force. Ari is knocked to the ground. She begins laughing to let her family know she is okay before standing again.

“Well at least we know it works now,” Ari laughs and her family joins her.

She focuses once more. This time honing her energy to her feet. The sparks are easier to reproduce this time since she knows exactly how they feel. She glances down at her feet and is happy to see the sparks shooting out from them. She reignites her hands then bends her knees. She looks up at her family and gives them a small unsure smile. Then she straightens her legs quickly in the same manner she would if she were going to jump. She is lifted a few feet off the ground. Instead of returning to the ground, however, she just hovers there.

As her family’s cheers erupt at her success, she thinks back to another time she discovered a new power…

<\-------<<

It's a Saturday evening in the bunker. Oliver and Diggle are sparring in the training ring. Fifteen-year-old Ari is working on her archery skills for a big competition coming up. The sounds of fighting and arrows meeting their targets fill the entire bunker.

Ari has been practicing six hours straight. She has grown tired. When she is tired, it is increasingly easier for her to make a mistake. She hears her father get pinned to the ground. It is enough to distract her so a mistake is exactly what happens when she releases her next arrow. The arrow flies too high and finds its way into the electric box situated a few feet above the target. Sparks fly from the box and an electric blast travels to hit the weapon rack sitting just outside the training arena. The rack unsteadily rocks back and forth a few times before toppling over. Much to Ari's horror, she realizes it is about to fall directly on top of her dad. Her dad who is currently defenseless on the ground because he just got the wind knocked out of him.

All that is running though Ari's mind is that she can't lose her dad. She must protect him. Instinctively, she runs to him. She kneels between the rack and Oliver so she can shield him with her body. She braces herself for impact. Hoping beyond all hope she will be strong enough to keep the rack at bay long enough for her dad to recover and for John to come to their aid. She closes her eyes and shoves her hands out in front of her. She's thinking only of protecting herself and her father. A moment of confusion passes. She hears loud clanging, the sound of a multitude of weapons hitting the floor, but she feels no impact. The weapons should have crushed her, but she feels nothing.

Her eyes fly open and are met with a sight she almost doesn't believe. Her and her father are surrounded by a translucent light blue bubble. Streaks of blue lightning dance all around the bubble similar to the plasma globe she had when she was a kid. She notices the weapon rack fell over in the opposite direction it was originally going to hit. Weapons are scattered all around it.

"Ari how are you doing this?" Oliver questions with wonder.

"I have no idea" she answers as she marvels at the shield she is making, "Digg throw something at us."

Diggle runs to grab a safe object; a tennis ball. "Are you sure?" he asks but ultimately decides to throw it. The ball ricochets off the shield but not before getting slightly singed.

Ari laughs with wonder, "this is amazing!"

"Yes it really is," Oliver agrees.

When Oliver makes a move to stand up, Ari loses her grip on the shield and it shrinks back into her body.

"Darn it" Ari grumbles, "I lost it."

By now Diggle has joined both Ari and Oliver again in the ring. He places a hand on her shoulder, "you’ll get it back, I'm sure. That was too amazing of a power not to get back."

"True. Well, it looks like I have a new skill to work on," Ari comments happily.

Oliver grins, "you most definitely do."

>>\------>

When Ari's thoughts return her to the present, she has no idea how long she has been hovering a few feet off the ground for. Judging off of the awestruck looks on her lived ones faces, it must not have been too long. Sparks are still flying off of Ari's hands and feet. She brings her hands in front of her chest then pushes straight down with all of her might. She is thrust over twenty feet in the air. Adrenaline pulses through her body in the best way. She giggles with glee. She can fly. She can't believe she can fly.

A minute after being in the air she hears her mother worriedly call, "okay honey it's time to come down."

Ari groans but listens to her mother. Christmas day is not the day to test her. Slowly she releases the pressure in her hands and feet and slowly she is lowered to the ground. When she touches down, she realizes not only has the snow melted within a five radius but the brown grass is also bone dry.

"I can fly," Ari says incredulously.

"You really can," Oliver and Felicity respond simultaneously.

Her family all surround her. They embrace and congratulate her. In that moment, she realizes that this is the best holiday season she has ever had. She is surrounded and embraced by all of the people she loves most. Everyone is happy and healthy. She somehow was even blessed with a Christmas miracle. Learning she can fly is truly a dream come true. It is something she has wished for since she was a child and it is most certainly the best holiday gift she could ever receive.


	20. Chapter 20

The winter months pass fairly uneventfully. The winter is a cold and snowy one, so everyone has pretty much been confined inside. Spring could not be more welcome. Slowly but surely, April arrives. In the last few weeks of warmer weather, Ari has spent every free moment working on perfecting her flying ability. It’s coming along very nicely, if she says so herself.

Today is the very first day of April. Which means Ari’s eighteenth birthday just a few short days away. It’s morning Ari and her parents all sit around the kitchen table. They just finished eating breakfast and have each individually started their other morning rituals. Felicity works on a crossword. She says she does it to keep her mind sharp. Oliver scrolls through his phone with his glasses on, no doubt catching up on the news of the day. Oliver’s vision has declined in recent years. He now requires glasses for reading. The couple holds each other’s hands. Even after all this time, they still can’t keep their hands off of each other.

It’s a Wednesday which means Ari has the day off both work and college classes. She grabs her backpack and begins to set up her school supplies to work on her homework. In the process, she gets distracted by the sight of her parents. She can’t stop the smile that spreads over her face. They’re just so adorable. The perfect example of what a middle-aged couple should be. Peaceful and so comfortable with one another. Still in love even though the age is beginning to show in their very few wrinkles and the few grey hairs that decorate each of their scalps. Felicity feels her daughter’s eyes on her and looks up at her. Ari’s gaze is met with a small grin but confused eyes. 

“What are you looking at?” Felicity questions.

“Nothing” Ari answers quickly realizing she’s been caught, “you guys are just so cute.”

“Okay…” Felicity slowly responds. The couple both look at each other like their daughter has lost her mind. Their stares intensify as if they are having their own private conversation. Oliver nods then sets his phone down. Felicity also sets her pencil on the table. Now it’s Ari’s turn to be confused.

“We have something for you” Oliver states. He arises from his chair and returns with a large box which he places on the table.

“We were going to wait for your birthday, but we’re just too excited to give it to you,” Felicity explains.

Oliver interjects, “and it’s not an April fools’ joke. I promise.”

She hesitantly opens the box, not entirely trusting her dad when he says it isn’t a joke. When the box is open, she sees a blue case. She would know this type of case anywhere.

She looks up at her parents and narrows her eyes, “if this is what I think it is, then this is way too much.”

“Just open it,” Oliver insists.

She can’t stop her hands from shaking, but she presses on. She unhooks the two latches holding the case together. She lifts the lid and is blessed with the most beautiful sight. An electric blue bow and arrow.

“We had it custom made just for you,” Oliver informs her.

Her mother continues, “we chose blue because we know how much you love it. Plus, it matches your electricity.”

Ari’s eyes tear up. She is overwhelmed with gratitude, “I don’t know what to say. Thank you! Thank you so, so much!”

She embraces her parents in a thankful hug before returning to the bow. She picks it up and turns it over in her hands. She inspects every inch of it. It truly is the most beautiful bow she has ever seen. The matching arrows Oliver brings in are just as stunning.

“It really is stunning you guys” Ari comments, “I can’t wait to take it out into the field.”

“Yeah if you go into the field,” Oliver says still caught up in the moment.

Ari’s excitement is instantly extinguished, “what do you mean _if_ I go into the field. You aren’t going to let me go into the field now?”

“No, I didn’t say that. I just meant you still have a few days to come to an official decision. We just thought maybe you would change your mind,” Oliver explains.

Ari can’t stop the anger from rising up inside her. Afterall, she has been waiting her entire life to become a hero and, in her mind, her parents have been against it from day one. “well I have already made my decision. I am going out into the field. I’m going to be a hero and nothing will stop me.”

“Are you sure Ari?” Felicity questions, “we just want you to really think about this decision. If you chose this life, it is not an easy one. Have you really thought about it? About all the loss and all the heartache? All the blood and sweat and tears that go into this life?”

Ari slams her new bow back on the table harder than she intended. It makes a loud crashing noise. As her anger rises so does her voice, “have you ever stopped to think that maybe I have thought about it? You didn’t raise a dummy after all,” she growls but then tries her best to rain in the anger. “These last few months I have really thought about it with an adult mindset. In going through you guys’ love story, I really got a new perspective. I saw the hardships. I saw the sacrifices. I saw the pain. I saw exactly how much you two lost over the years. I saw everything you had to give up. Every tear you shed. I saw every single friend you lost. In your victories, I rejoiced. In your sorrows, I cried too. I saw everything. I felt everything. It made me see things in a new light and really question if this is the life I want to lead. That’s when I realized, I really do want to do this. No matter the sacrifice, or the loss, or even the pain I endure. I want to do this. To make my mark on the world. To save as many innocent people as I can.” Her voice falters, “do you have any idea what it’s like to have a dream you want so badly to come true, a dream you’ve had your entire life, and have the people who are supposed to love you and support you in anything you do try to talk you out of it every single step of the way? I do. And I can tell you that it hurts. It deeply truly hurts.” Tears stream down her face but the anger surfaces once more, “well I’m done. I’m done with listening to you two discourage me at every turn. I’m done with you treating me like a child who has no idea what I’m doing. I’m just done. I’ve made my decision. I’m going out in the field and I’m becoming a hero. It’s final and it’s happening. You can either deal with it, or not be in my life anymore.” She begins to storm out of the room but turns back once more when she reaches the doorway. Looking more vulnerable than she has ever been, she cries “why couldn’t you guys have just supported me in my dream?” She sprints up the stairs to her room before her tears completely blind her.

Oliver and Felicity just stare at each other for a moment. Both of them are too in shock to move. Once the shock wears off, they both plop down at their respective seats at the table.

“What have we done?” Felicity whispers in defeat, tears of regret flow from her eyes.

“We failed her,” Oliver says equally crushed.

“We were just trying not to pressure her. To help her make her own decision. To try to keep her safe.”

Oliver stressfully rubs his forehead, “and in doing so we made her feel like we didn’t support her. Like we didn’t want her to be a hero.”

“What do we do now Oliver?” Felicity asks. “How do we show her that we’ve always been on her side?”

They both sit in a tense silence trying to think of a way to make things right. That’s when an idea comes to Oliver.

“The book,” he suggests.

Felicity sighs with relief, “of course the book. Why didn’t I think of that? The book may be the only thing to convince her.”

They head upstairs to grab the book out of a secret compartment in their dresser drawer. They have been saving this book for a long time. Waiting for the day that Ari would choose to be a hero. They walk at a snail’s pace down the hallway to their daughter’s room dreading, but also hopeful, for the conversation that needs to be had. They pick up the pace and close the few foot gap between them and her doorway when they hear her sobs.

Felicity knocks twice on the door and is answered with an angry, “GO AWAY!” from Ari.

“We just want to talk” Felicity says gently, “please honey let us in.”

After a few beats with no response, Oliver says stubbornly “we aren’t going away Arianna Lauren Smoak-Queen. We’ll wait out here forever if we have to. You know us, we don’t give up.”

A minute passes before Ari calms down enough to answer the door. She opens it just a crack then runs back to her bed and throws herself face down into her pillows. She cries again. Both Oliver and Felicity walk over to the bed and have a seat on the edge. Felicity begins gently rubbing Ari’s back. Ever since she was little, that always helped her relax.

Felicity apologizes first, “we’re so sorry baby. We should’ve known that we were hurting you, but we were just so afraid.”

Ari peaks her head up from the pillows to ask, “afraid of what?”

“Afraid of seeing you suffer the way we have. Afraid of you going through the same sadness we have. Afraid to see you get hurt… or worse,” Oliver admits.

“But that’s just part of this life” Ari argues, “regardless of me becoming a hero or not. Pain and suffering are just a fact of life and even though you want to, you guys can’t shield me from it forever.”

“but you are more prone to the bad things when you become a hero. One good thing about this argument, it has shown us that you are strong enough, determined enough, and prepared enough to handle it” Felicity says proudly, “You want to know something?”

“What?” Ari asks as she flips over on her back to fully see them. She wipes the remaining tears from her cheeks.

Oliver tells Ari, “though there was a part of us that never wanted you to be a hero, there is just as big a part of both of us that has always, always wanted you to take up our mantle and become an even better hero than either of us.”

“We let fear get the better of us” Felicity elaborates, “we were wrong to do that and we are incredibly sorry. We know we can never make up for it but if it’s any consolation, we are very excited and proud that you have chosen to go out in the field.”

“I want to believe you, but how can I when my whole life you’ve told me the opposite?” Ari ponders.

“Because I remember a conversation I had with your mother the night we found out about your powers,” Oliver says.

Felicity continues, “we had just brought you home and tucked you in. We went back to your room and your dad and I talked for hours about how excited we were you had powers. We talked about how we had already dreamed about you joining us, but now that you had powers it would be even better. We dreamed about your superhero name, what your outfit would look like, and all the people you would save. That night we let worry fade from our minds, and we just dreamed.”

“I still just don’t believe you,” she says with narrowed eyes.

“It’s true,” Oliver states earnestly.

“Prove it,” Ari challenges finally starting to act like herself again. Oliver pulls out the book and hands it to Ari, “What is this?” Ari questions.

“Open it,” Felicity urges.

She does just that. The first page of the book is a sketch of an incredibly amazing electric blue and black hero suit. On the top of the page the word Electra is drawn on. The letters themselves are blue and black and shaped in a way that look like electricity. Ari’s eyes grow misty. She runs her index finger along the word then down the page.

“Electra…” she reads aloud. It’s half a question.

“Cisco and I thought of the name” Felicity explains, “you don’t have to use it if you don’t like it.”

“I love it” Ari says not taking her eyes off the page, “when did you make this?”

Oliver answers, “very shortly after we discovered you had powers. We had Cisco draw up the sketches of the suit.”  
“The rest of the book is filled with drawings and ideas of the suit and weapons. Any accessory a hero could dream of, it’s all in there. Every since the day we created that book, we’ve been constantly adding to it,” Felicity informs her.

Ari chokes up, “you really have believed in me this whole time, haven’t you?”

“More than you even know,” Oliver states with certainty.

Ari hugs her parents as tightly as she possibly can. They all cry happy tears.

“So, we’re really doing this aren’t we?” Felicity asks happily.

“yes, we sure are” Ari confirms with a huge grin.

Two hours pass and Oliver decides to begin Ari's training right away. They are beginning with sparring. Ari tries to stifle a laugh when she thinks about the fact that her dad is in for a surprise. Afterall, he has no idea she already knows how to fight. Ari is interested to see how well Sara taught her. They face each other on the matt and stand in sparring position.

"You make the first move," Oliver instructs her.

"Now please don't go easy on me just because I'm your daughter," Ari warns.

"I won't," Oliver says in a slightly defensive tone.

Ari makes the first move. They exchange a few blows before Oliver takes one step just a fraction of an inch too close to her. An error he would never make if he was going up against someone he deemed to be a skilled fighter. Ari realizes he is going easy on her. Big mistake. She hooks her right leg around his, grabs his opposite arm, and knocks him to the ground. Oliver looks up at his daughter in shock and confusion.

Copying Sara's exact words, Ari says smugly "lesson of the day, never let your enemy catch you off guard."

Oliver wipes the shocked expression off his face and replaces it with a glare. He then groans as he starts to stand. He makes a slight and unnatural flick of his wrist. A movement that would be unnoticeable to an untrained eye. Unnoticeable to someone who already didn't know his tricks. Thankfully Ari does. She is already anticipating the defective arrow that flies in her vicinity. It is aiming for her right side. She catches the arrow in midair, pauses for a split second, and drops it to the ground without moving her hand.

If the word shocked described Oliver's face before, it doesn't even begin to describe it now. Ari can't help but laugh at his expression, it's just too priceless.

With a sly grin Ari states "lesson number two, always be aware of your surroundings."

Oliver glares once more, "you've already been training, haven't you? Who taught you?"

"If I tell you, you can't get mad," Ari bargains.

"No promises," Oliver whispers to himself.

"I heard that. I'm serious. I'm not telling if you can't be nice."

Oliver sighs, "fine I'll be nice."

"It was Sara," Ari confesses.

"Of course it was," Oliver growls.

Ari scolds, "dad you promised! Plus, it's not her fault. I used my powers of persuasion."

"Of every power you possess, I must say your powers of persuasion will always be the strongest."

Ari says positively, "you're right about that!"

"Are you ready to continue?" Oliver asks.

"Sure am. Just don't go easy on me this time," Ari warns again.

"I won't. I learned my lesson the hard way," Oliver says.

They spar for the next few hours. Turns out, Sara is an excellent teacher. They match each other blow for blow practically every time. Occasionally they stop just long enough for Oliver to teach a new trick or offer advice. When they both grow weary, they decide together to call it quits for the day. They pack up their stuff and head home.

At the end of the day, Arianna can't help but be in awe at today's turn of events. She started the day thinking her parents hated the idea of her being a hero and now she's ending it walking home arm in arm with her father after their first sparring session. Knowing how proud and excited both of her parents are that she is following in their footsteps. Unbelievable is the only word she can think of to describe it. Absolutely unbelievable.


	21. Chapter 21

Today is the day. April 3rd, 2037. Ari’s eighteenth birthday. She has waited for this day forever. Not for the reasons that most teenagers want, but because today is her very first mission. Her parents tried to hold her off until tomorrow so today could be solely about her birthday, but Ari could wait no longer.

Her birthday party is held in the early afternoon. All her loved ones are in attendance, even including those from other worlds. There is plenty of food, cake, ice cream, laughter, and love to go around. Ari loves simplicity so just being around her loved ones and getting to spend time with them is the best way to spend her birthday.

The guests all depart by early evening. Her grandparents and brother are the last to leave and have to be practically shoved out the door. They made the big announcement about Ari’s first mission so, in the end, they all respect her need for some extra time to get prepared.

John, Oliver, Felicity, Ari, and the rest of Team Arrow arrive at the bunker at practically the same. They all gather together around the one large table knowing Oliver and Felicity have a special surprise for Ari. Oliver leads Ari to the head of the table and motions for her to sit down. She does so immediately. Felicity brings in a silver case with a purple bow on top of it. She places it in front of her daughter before having a seat in the chair next to her.

“Happy birthday baby,” Felicity says with tear-filled eyes.

Oliver explains, “this is from me, your mother, all of Team Arrow, and Team Flash.”

She opens it to find a real-life version of the suit Cisco had sketched all those years ago. With a beaming smile on her face, she lifts it out of the case. It’s heavier than she imagined. It’s mostly black with electric blue accents. On the blue portions, there are tiny arrows and lighting bolts embedded into the fabric. She absolutely loves it. It’s better than anything she could’ve dreamed up on her own.

“What do you think?” Oliver asks hesitantly.

“It’s amazing. I love it. Thank you so much everyone!” she thanks with sincere gratitude.

“Go try it on,” Digg urges.

She practically sprints to the bathroom. She changes with impressive speed. She’s just so excited to see how she will look. She finds the closest mirror and nearly jumps with joy when she sees her reflection. The suit fits her perfectly. It frames her body in a way that makes her look feminine but also muscular. There is just enough blue in the suit to make her eyes pop. She moves around a little. She even mimics the motions she makes as an archer. The suit easily moves with her. It truly fits like a glove.

She walks out to rejoin the team. She is met with cheers and whistles. She reaches her parents first. Her mom has the final touch to her outfit in her hands; her mask. She places it over Ari’s eyes then takes a step back to get a proper look.

“How do I look?” Ari asks.

Felicity smiles proudly and repeats the same words she said to Oliver many years ago, “like a hero.”

"You most certainly do," Oliver agrees.

Everyone takes a turn hugging Ari and congratulating her on her new suit and initiation to the team. Afterward, they all get down to business. Oliver briefs everyone on today's mission; stopping a bomb. He gives the entire team, including Ari, instructions on their individual duties.

As they head out Felicity follows yelling, "wait! Wait!" They all pause and turn around.

"What is it?" Oliver asks.

"I have to say goodbye to my daughter," Felicity answers as if it's obvious.

Ari steps forward and allows her mother to hug her. This is slightly difficult with all her hero gear on.

"Good luck Electra. Knock em dead" Felicity encourages, "be safe."

Hearing her code name gives Ari the boost of confidence she needs. She hugs Felicity a little tighter before releasing her saying, "thank you mom. I'll do my best."

Ari turns to join the team. For the first time of many, they leave the bunker together.

In less than fifteen minutes, Team Arrow makes it to the building. They each are met with an opponent they must battle. Ari takes her first opponent down with ease. She rounds the corner following closely behind the Green Arrow. They both take down the next five enemies together. They arrive in the room with the bomb. Spartan is the next to arrive.

Now it is Ari's time to shine. She needs to disable the bomb in only ten seconds. Overwatch shouts instructions in her ear. With the help of her mom, and the added benefit of her powers, the bomb clicks and then powers down.

While in the process of disabling the bomb, Green Arrow and Spartan ward off ten more enemies. Somehow one of them manages to sneak through their clutches. He makes a beeline for Electra who is very much distracted by the bomb.

As the bomb powers down, Ari senses the presence of danger a moment too late. She turns to defend herself but her attacker is quicker. Something hits her on the left side of the head. Pain shoots throughout her entire skull and down her neck. The world around her fades from view.

The next moment she awakens to a bright light that nearly blinds her. Once her eyes adjust, she takes in her surroundings. She is in one of her favorite places. The park along the water where she and her dad meet every week. Something about the park seems different though. The atmosphere is brighter, happier. Though she has no idea how that is possible. Three figures suddenly appear before her. Each of them look oddly familiar to her. Each of them are wearing all white. Each of them glow in such a magnificent way.

It takes her a moment to recognize who each person is. Afterall she has never met any of them, she has only seen them in pictures. On the left stands Sara’s father Quentin Lance. On the right is Ari’s grandfather Robert Queen. In the center is none other than Moira Queen, Arianna’s grandmother.

“Wait… what’s going on?... You guys are… where am I?” Ari questions her voice growing higher pitched with every passing second. “Is this heaven?... Oh frack, did I die on my first mission?!”

All three of the individuals standing across from her chuckle.

"No dear, you didn't die" Moira reassures her granddaughter.

Robert continues, "you just got temporarily knocked unconscious..."

Quentin interrupts, "but the fates that be let us have the rare opportunity to speak with you. This is a very critical time in your life. They feel you need guidance."

"Guidance? What guidance?" Arianna wonders, "and why you three in particular?"

"Because we've been watching you your whole life" Moira answers simply, "and we've been waiting to meet you."

"You're my grandparents, aren't you?" Ari asks Moira and Robert before turning to Lance, "and you're Captain Lance right? You were a father figure to my dad too."

Robert responds, "yes we are."

Ari smiles widely at them. She’s always wanted to meet them.

"The other reason we were chosen is that they felt we would have the greatest influence on you," Quentin explains.

"We don't have much time," Robert warns.

"Let's get to it then," Ari states.

Moira begins, "soon you will face a crossroads. A time when you truly have to choose to stay on the hero path or to give up."

"You must choose the path that feels right to you in your bones," Robert advises.

"The path that also seems the most difficult," Lance clarifies.

"Because the world depends on you choosing the correct path" Moira says, "and the amount of lives you will save truly will be world changing."

Ari thinks upon it but in the process of meeting her grandparents and one of her parents’ beloved friends, her brain just isn't working quite right "you do know that I have no idea what any of this means right?”

Her grandma steps toward her and caresses her cheek. Her hand is much warmer than it should be, and it is so soothing to Ari, "you will my child. When the time comes, you will."

Her vision starts to fade away. She is instantly sad, "I’m fading away. I don't want to lose you three. I just got you," she cries.

"It's okay sweetheart," Robert comforts.

"You'll see us again, we promise" Lance vows.

"And we love you with all our hearts," Moira says. "We'll be watching over you... always."

All three of them whisper as the dream fades away.

"Electra! Ari! Ari!" her father yells as he shakes her. As she comes to, the confusion sets in. It takes her a moment to identify that they are still on a mission. When she does, she rises as quickly as possible. Of course she’s unsteady, so Oliver keeps his hands on her shoulders until she regains her footing.

"Are you okay? he asks.

Ari shakes the blow off, "yeah I'm fine. Let's get out of here before more surprise visitors show up."

Oliver doesn't quite believe she’s okay, but he does agree that they need to get out of there. He motions for Ari to lead so he can keep an eye on her.

Once they arrive in the bunker, Felicity is prepared with the medical kit. She checks Ari over to the best of her knowledge and decides she has no major injuries that would result in a trip to the hospital.

Oliver dismisses the team and one by one they all head home. Oliver, Felicity, and Ari are all that remain in the bunker. They change out of their field gear and into street clothes. Since Ari is a speed changer, she finishes first. While she stands alone in the bunker, a desire to head to the roof overcomes her. She does just that.

There is one bench on the roof. It faces west. It has a perfect view of the city and the now setting sun. The sky is filled with magnificent colors; orange, pink, even a few specks of purple. It's incredibly breath taking. It doesn't take her parents long to realize where Ari is and to meet her on the roof. The both take a seat on the bench next to her.

"So now that your first mission is over, I have one question. Was it everything you dreamed it would be?" Felicity asks.

Ari relaxes into both her parents. "No. It was better. Definitely better than anything I could have imagined. Even if I did get knocked unconscious for a moment. This is exactly where I'm meant to be. I know that better now than I ever have before, " Ari says with absolute certainty. She stares out at the city. Her city. She knows she's home. She knows this city is hers to protect now, and she will do everything in her power to do just that.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only three chapters to go! We are fast approaching the end. I just want to let all of you know I am moving across the country, so it may be a few weeks before I am able update again. Thank you in advance for your patience. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Months have passed since Ari's first mission with Team Arrow. Ari adjusted very quickly and smoothly to the team. In a very short period of time, she has become an essential member. Within the last few weeks, she senses something different about the team dynamics. She just can't quite put a finger on the exact reason for the change. She hopes the mystery will be solved soon. She’s so much like her mother, she hates mysteries.

Ari and her parents are spending time in the bunker each working on their respective duties. Felicity; the computers, Ari; target practice with multiple weapons, and Oliver; the salmon ladder. Oliver jumps down from the ladder and motions for Felicity to come to him. They both make their way to Ari. She is so focused on her target, she doesn’t hear them approach. Oliver clears his throat and she jumps in response.

“Sorry to startle you” Oliver apologizes, “your mom and I would just like to talk to you.”

Ari walks over to the nearest bench. She sets her weapon down and takes a quick drink of water from her favorite purple water bottle before responding, “okay what is it?”

“It’s about the team” Oliver says, “a lot of us are starting to get on the older side. This field work is not easy for anyone, but it’s especially difficult when you aren’t as young as you once were. We’re growing tired and seem to be running out of energy by the minute. We are beginning to accept the fact that our days being heroes are coming to an end.”

“So, the team is quitting?” Ari questions.

“Not yet” Felicity answers, “but soon.”

Ari asks, “okay that’s the rest of the team, but what about you two?”

“It’s time for your dad and I to think about moving on too,” Felicity responds.

“But I just started working with you” Ari sadly protests, “my dream finally came true and you’re just done?”

Oliver scoffs a little, “I don’t think we’ll ever really be done.”

“But the time is coming soon for us to take a step back” Felicity continues, “and yes, your dream was to be a hero alongside us, and that dream became a reality even though it wasn’t for very long. Now it’s time for you to find a new dream.”

“We’ll still be here as long as you need us though,” Oliver assures her. “So, what do you say? Do you have anyone in mind you want on your team?”

Ari mulls it over, “I do know a few people…” Suddenly she begins walking to the exit.

“Where are you going?” Felicity calls after her.

“You know,” Ari says surely.

“No, we don’t” Oliver argues then repeats, “where are you going?”

“If you know me, you already know the first two people I would choose. It’s Sunday, where do you think they would be?” Ari asks with a slight tone of sarcasm.

They already do know the answer. Every Sunday since they have been living back in Star City, JJ and Sara have dinner at their parents’ house. Needless to say, John and Lyla are thrilled to have both of their children so close to them again.

Ari is already halfway up the stairs. She is eager to begin recruiting. She motions for her parents to join her and they quickly follow.

John and Lyla welcome Oliver, Felicity, and Ari warmly into their home. Lyla made a roast. Since there is plenty of food to go around, the Queen family joins them for supper. This reminds Ari of the many times their families had meals together when she was young. Once the twins moved away, those moments were few and far between. Ari truly cherished those moments when they did happen. Now that the twins are back in Star City, everyone is hoping it will be a common occurrence again.

As their visit comes to an end, so does the time in which Arianna has to ask her question. When their parents are busy in a conversation, Ari takes this time to pull JJ and Sara aside. She leads them into the living room. Their faces are filled with a mixture of anticipation and confusion. They know Ari well enough to know that something is on her mind and that she’s nervous.

“What’s wrong?” Sara asks the second they come to a halt.

“I have something to ask the both of you now that you’re back in town permanently. I know you are both very busy with Argus and you wouldn’t be around all the time, but I’m forming a new team. It’s basically a next generation Team Arrow. Would you both like to be part of it? There’s no one I want more on my team than you two. I can’t imagine doing this without you.”

They both answer immediately and wholeheartedly, “of course we do.”

Ari smiles and breathes a sign of relief, “oh thank goodness. I was hoping you would say that.”

“When’s our first mission?” JJ asks eagerly.

Ari laughs nervously, “woah slow down. One thing at a time. I need to finish assembling a team first and then we’ll see.”

Sara begins, “well when you’re ready…”

JJ finishes the sentence, “And when you need us, we’ll be there.”

JJ engulfs his sister and his friend into a big bear hug. They both laugh and hug him just as tight. Ari breathes them both in. It wasn’t until this moment she realizes just how much she’s missed them. Now she’s forming a team with them and she’s going to get to work with them practically every day. Ari can’t believe how lucky she is.

On the way home from the Diggle’s, Ari urges her parents to stop at her best friend Sophie’s house. Sophie is a technological genius, second only to Felicity Smoak-Queen. She is most definitely a person Ari wants on her team.

She takes the few short steps from the driveway to the front door and knocks twice. Thankfully, Sophie is the one who answers.

“Hey Ari. What are you doing here?” She asks.

Ari begins, “I came to ask you a question and I’m going to get right to it. I’m forming my own hero team and I would like you to be part of it.”

Sophie looks shell shocked. All she replies with is, “you’re just as good at tech stuff as I am.”

Ari argues, “that’s not true. You are so much better than me. Both you and I know that. We need you. Please…”

Sophie grumbles.

“I already have a name for you,” Ari says enticingly.

Sophie groans but can’t contain her curiosity, “what is it?”

“Guru,” Ari answers.

Sophie slowly turns her frown into a smile, “I like it.”

Ari probes, “so does that mean you’re in?”

Sophie sighs for what seems like a century before replying, “yes I’m in, but don’t expect me to ever set foot outside of the bunker. No field missions. Nothing. Deal?”

“Deal” Ari says happily, “you won’t regret it.”

“oh, we’ll see about that,” Sophie mumbles as her best friend pulls her into an enthusiastic hug.

They make it home in record time. Ari heads straight up to her room and lies on face up on her bed. She compiles a text for the next potential teammate on her list. The text reads: _I have an important question to ask you. Come see me when you get the chance._

About five seconds later, Ari is surprised by an intruder. The intruder plops down on the bed and quickly makes herself at home.

Ari clutches her heart which is beating at about a thousand miles a minute, “you gotta stop doing that, you’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days.”

Nora West-Allen just chuckles, “we’ve been friends our whole lives, you think you’d be used to it by now.”

Ari is still breathing heavy, “I don’t think I ever will be. Especially when you come unannounced. At least the first seven months of my life were normal until your powers started coming in when you were just a year old.”

“oh yes, the days before powers,” Nora reminisces on a time she doesn’t remember before asking, “so, what’s your question?”

“Geez you don’t even give me a minute to breathe” Ari grumbles, “this is a pretty big question. You don’t have to answer right away. I just want you to think about it.”

Nora urges her on, “okay… what is it?”

“You know I have been out in the field the past few months working with my dad’s team” Ari explains, “well a lot of his teammates are getting old enough they are getting ready to retire. So, my dad wants me to assemble a new team. I think you would be perfect for it. Will you join us?”

“Oh gosh…. I don’t know…” Nora hesitates.

“Come on” Ari persuades, “Star City has the best CSI program in the country. I know that’s what you want to go to college for. If you move here and join us, you can go to school during the day and help us out at night. My parents even have an extra room they said you can use if you don’t want to stay on campus. I know you want to be a hero like your dad just as much as I want to be like mine. This way you can make your own path. And after you finish college, you can always move back to Central City and join their team then if you want. What do you say?”

Nora contemplates for only a moment, “I’d say you’re crazy, but I also say I’m in.”

Ari squeals in excitement, “really?!”

“Yes really” Nora confirms, “I better flash back home and talk to my parents. Who knows how they’re going to take it.”

“Good luck” Ari wishes, “while you’re doing that, I’ll be assembling the last member of the team. We both have our work cut out for us.”

“We sure do. Let me know how it goes,” Nora says.

Ari hugs her goodbye, “I definitely will. Talk to you later.”

Nora squeezes back before releasing, “yeah sure will. With us in it, this hero team is going to be the best one yet.”

Nora steps a few paces away from Ari’s bed and stands in a running position. She turns her head to glance at Ari once more and leaves her with a farewell wave and a grin. With a flash of purple and yellow lightning, Nora is gone.

The journey to recruit her team’s final member is a very long one. Thankfully, she has her father to keep her company. By the time she makes it to Nanda Parbat, Ari is exhausted. She is also determined. She knows this particular member will be the hardest one to convince to join her team.

Ari is covered head to toe in her hero outfit. She knows she will be unrecognizable to even those individuals she has known her whole life. She will no doubt be a threat to them, but she likes it that way. She wants to see their reactions. She strolls causally into the large cavern-appearing room that once held the Lazarus pit. Her father choses to stay behind, allowing her to do the persuading all on her own.

Nyssa the head of the League of Heroes, formerly known as the League of Assassins, greets her with a knife to the throat. The league surrounds them, weapons at the ready.

“Nice to see you Nyssa” Ari says without a trace of fear, “I’m here for the Crimson Warrior.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Nyssa feigns innocence.

“Don’t play games with me” Ari threatens, “where is J.R. Harper?”

Nyssa grows more irritated still keeping the blade to Ari’s neck, “what makes you so important that you think you can just walk in here and demand to speak with whomever you please?”

“Because you know me and I know you,” Ari states matter-of-factly.

“How?” Nyssa questions.

Arianna removes her mask and pulls off her hood, “J.R. is my cousin. And I think you know my dad and mom. Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak ring any bells?”

Nyssa lowers her weapon and flashes Ari an all-too-rare smile, “Arianna, is that you?”

“It is,” Ari beams.

“Wow, you’ve grown” Nyssa comments, “and you are every bit as beautiful as your mother. It’s been about five years since you last saw me, how did you recognize me so easily?”

“You do know who my mother is, right? The genius genes run in the family. Plus is wasn’t that hard, you know. Your wardrobe hasn’t changed much in the last like thirty years,” Ari teases her.

“You’re right” Nyssa agrees as she leads Ari to the edge of the now empty Lazarus pit and motions for her to have a seat, “the wardrobe hasn’t changed much, but my mission most definitely has.”

“I can see that. You’ve done a lot of good in the world. You’ve saved a lot of lives. I hope to do the same. That’s why I’m here. I need you to let my cousin come home and help me save the city we grew up in. To make a difference in his own back yard.”

Nyssa scoffs, “and what makes you think I’m just going to let him go? He’s one of my best warriors.”

“Because it is the right thing to do” she answers simply, “because we need him more there than you do here. Because as much as he wants to fight it, it is his home.”

Nyssa takes a moment to consider what Ari has just brought up. Eventually she sighs and gives Ari a confirming nod. Ari can’t contain her excitement. She squeals and pulls Nyssa into a hug of gratitude.

Nyssa pulls away and warns, “good luck trying to convince him though.”

Ari laughs, “oh don’t worry about that, I have my cousin wrapped around my finger. He may be four months older than me, but I am the boss. There’s no mistaking that. Where is he anyway?”

Nyssa leads her out of the room, “come on, I’ll show you.”

Nyssa leads Ari through the dim, dark hallways until they reach J.R.’s living quarters. Nyssa says goodbye and leaves Ari to face him alone. She bangs on the door three times before barging in. She prays he is dressed. She relaxes quickly when she sees that he is. J.R. looks very surprised to see her and jumps back about five feet.

“Jonas Robert Harper” Ari mockingly scolds, “what on earth are you doing here of all places?! I thought you were supposed to be studying abroad?”

“Ari is that you?” he asks in both shock and excitement.

“Yes.” She playfully smacks him, “now answer the question.”

“I’m supposed to be studying abroad and as far as my parents know, I still am. I took a little side trip,” Jonas explains, “school just wasn’t for me.”

“How did you find this place?” Ari asks, “it’s not like there’s a big blinking sign that says ‘Nanda Parbat: Home of the former League of Assassins’.”

“It was actually fairly easy. My mom described it so well in one of her old journals, it didn’t take much looking at all.”

“okay… but what are you really doing here?” Ari interrogates.

“I needed to get some new perspective. To make a difference. For some reason, this place just called to me.”

“I suppose that makes sense” Ari wastes no time, “I need to ask you for a favor.”

Jonas looks at her skeptically, “what kind of favor…”

“I need you to come back home with me. Nyssa has already agreed to it, so you can’t use her as an excuse. Crime in Star City is on the rise again for the first time in twenty years” she informs him, “I’m starting up my own team. I want you to be part of that team. Your city needs you. I need you. Please… come home.”

“I don’t know Ari… I left for a reason. I needed to start my own life. See new things. This could just be a step backwards…” Jonas trails off.

“It’s not a step backwards” she counters, “it’s exactly where you need to be. You know it and so do I. Come on, you already have a hero name. You can find your own place and create your own path there. This would give you a purpose. This would help you make a difference.” She bumps into his shoulder with hers, “don’t lie, I know you want to say yes.”

Jonas thinks for a long time. He thinks for such a long time, Ari is sure he is going to say no. Then he looks in the pleading, desperate eyes of his cousin and he melts. How could he say no to her?

He sighs then shakes his finger at her, “you’re going to be the death of me, I swear… Fine, I’ll join your team.”

“Thank you so much Jonas. I couldn’t do this without you,” she says with a wide grin as she pulls him in for a hug.

They spend the next few hours getting Jonas’ affairs in order and saying his final goodbyes. They board the plane approximately six hours from when they landed on Nanda Parbat.

As she, Jonas, and Oliver fly back to Star City, Ari glances out the window of the plane. She can’t help but be appreciative of the people she has chosen to make up her team and their willingness to join her on her mission. She is truly blessed. Now, more than ever before, she is ready to be a leader, to be her team’s stronghold, and to help them navigate any challenge that comes their way.


	23. Chapter 23

Ari gazes unfocused out the window of her office in Smoak Tech. The window is nearly fifty floors above ground and offers an incredible view of Star City. She zones back in from her daydream. Focus has been something that is hard for her to come by as of late. Her latest transition with the team has been keeping her awfully busy. Since Ari recruited all of her own team members, most of the elders on the team officially went into retirement. Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity are the only Senior Team Arrow members now. This transition has been stealing time and attention away from her many neglected projects here at the office. She sighs and tries to turn her attention to the task at hand.

Ari spends about fifteen minutes of her undivided attention on her project before her phone chimes. Confusion makes her do a double take. Her phone has never made that noise before. She quickly snatches her phone off the desk and nearly drops it. Ice fills her veins. Her whole body suddenly feels stiff and frozen. Across her screen, a text from an unknown number reads:

_Your father stole everything from me. It’s time to return the favor and steal everything from you. I have your whole family and all the members of your team. You have two hours to find them or they will be executed. Happy hunting._

Ari doesn’t think, she just moves. She runs to the only place that may have answers; the bunker. It’s the place the rest of the team was spending the morning. Working on solving their latest mystery. They had graciously let her come here because they knew she was stressing about work. Now they all may be killed because of her.

She arrives at the bunker to see an absolute mess. Weapons thrown everywhere, tables overturned, damage to practically every visible surface. The team put up a fight that’s for sure. Panic and worry surge through Ari. This person must be exceedingly powerful to incapacitate the whole team. How is she ever going to defeat someone like that? Especially on her own.

Before she even thinks about what she is doing, she digs a small red button from the deepest corner of her purse and pushes it. It begins glowing and beeping immediately. It’s a beacon used only for emergencies. And this is most definitely an emergency.

Ari barely has time to breathe before Barry comes flashing in.

“Ari, what is it?!” Barry asks breathlessly.

Ari explains in a frenzy, “I just got a message. Someone has them. Someone kidnapped everyone I love. The whole team. Everyone. I don’t know what to do or where to look. I need your help.”

“It’s okay Ari. I am here” he tries to comfort her, “do you have any idea where they could be?”

Ari begins crying and becomes exponentially more panicked, “no Barry, I have no clue. I don’t even know who this person is or even why they are coming after me.” Ari makes it to the nearest corner of the room and shrinks down to the ground in defeat, “I thought I could do this whole hero thing but now I just don’t think so. I’m in way over my head here.”

Barry slides down beside her and places his hand on her knee. He speaks as calmly as possible, “I remember the first time you came to visit Star Labs and you learned about all of us and our double lives. You were probably about eight years old at the time. Do you remember that day?”

“Of course I do. That was the day I was truly inspired to become a hero and not just because of who my parents were but because I saw the same thing inside me that the rest of you had. But how is that going to help me now?” she asks.

Barry continues reminiscing, “I remember that look you had on your face so vividly it’s like it was yesterday. Of course you were surprised and a little shocked. I mean, who wouldn't be? But there was something else in your face underneath all that. You had this fire in your eyes. A look of determination. Of passion. I've never seen a look like that on someone so young. Or someone of any age really. In that moment, I just knew beyond a shadow of a doubt you were born to do this. Not because of your parents, or your other relatives, or their friends, but because of something inside of you that's all your own. A passion and a gift so strong that it’s unquenchable and unstoppable. I also knew that day that you had the possibility of becoming a greater hero than any of us. The rest of us had years, decades of normalcy. We had loads of time just being us. But you, I think you've always known. That in of itself has more power than you know. So, though I have no idea how you are going to beat this, I do undoubtedly know that you will. And you will do it with the grace, beauty, and strength that I've always known you have.”

"But can't you help me?" Ari pleads, "please Barry you have to help me. I can't do this on my own."

Barry sighs deeply. He hates seeing her like this. All he wants is to comfort her, to help her, but he knows he can't. "Listen Ari, there comes a time in every hero's story that they have to really choose this life and take the first step in their journey. It's a step they have do alone to become the best hero possible. This is your moment and as much as I want to swoop in and help, especially since my daughter is involved, I know you have to solve this one all on your own.”

Ari shrinks even further into herself, “but what if I fail?”

“You won't. I have faith in you. So does everyone else. One piece of advice though," Barry leans closer to Ari and whispers in her ear before speeding away, "the answers you are looking for are often already inside you."

Ari sighs and slumps into the nearest chair. She can still feel the breeze on her cheek from Barry's abrupt exit. This is her moment. She must figure this out and soon. But how? How can the answer be inside her? Hasn't she thought of everything already?

She scours the room searching for something that may help her. That's when she sees it. The latest biotech prototype she and her mom have been working on. She knows exactly how she will find them. Her mom's biostimulant is going to be everyone's saving grace. Ari is suddenly very grateful she's been working so hard on her tracking abilities.

She stands up, clears her mind, and closes her eyes and searches. She searches and searches until it seems hopeless to keep searching. Right at the moment she is about to give up, she hears it. The faintest and quietest sound. So faint and quiet she fears she is imagining it. She takes a leap of faith however, and follows it. She jumps on her father’s motorcycle. It’s the only mode of transportation available to her. Though she is afraid the trace will be lost in the deafening hum of the bike, she fires up the engine. She is relieved to discover she is still able to hear over the rumble of the engine. She speeds away. She has never been more thankful her dad thought her how to drive it. Much to her mother’s protest.

As she follows the frequency, it becomes increasingly louder. Once it reaches the point it is deafening in her ear, she pulls over and jumps off the motorcycle. She quickly takes in her surroundings. It’s a large, dingy, abandoned warehouse. It’s grey with worn paint. So worn she can’t even make out the name of the company or the previous owners.

“Why does it always have to be an abandoned warehouse?” she mumbles to herself.

She wastes no time using her powers to smash down the door. When she enters she is greeted with the sight of her whole team tied to chairs and with bags over their heads. They are arranged in a wide circle. In the center of the circle, is none other than the kidnapper.

He laughs evilly, “I have to admit you’re clever. But this next part is the part you will never succeed. You’ll never be able to defeat…”

“Oh would you just shut up already,” she interrupts him in irritation. Ari blasts him with a very high voltage. He crashes instantly to the ground. Apparently, he had no knowledge of her powers.

Since the villain is down, she takes a second to observe her surroundings. She hears the telltale beeping of a bomb.

"and why does it always have to be a bomb?" She continues grumbling. The countdown must have been triggered when he was knocked down. She searches the room until she finds the numbers. With less than a minute remaining, she sprints to JJ first. She isn’t even sure why he is her first choice, but she doesn’t have time to question it.

She unties him quickly while demanding, “get them free. I’ll handle the bomb.”

By now she’s disabled so many bombs, it only takes her moments to take care of this one. Once it is taken care of, she loops back around to her family and her team. All of whom are now free from their binds. She runs to her parents.

“I found you!” she happily exclaims while hugging them.

“Yes you did. I knew you would, my genius daughter,” Felicity states proudly, “how did you do it?”

“Your biostimulant,” Ari explains, “it’s a good thing I’ve had so much practice tracking it.”

“It really is,” Oliver chimes in, “and how did you get here?”

“Your motorcycle. I figured it was faster than flying. At least for now until I get better control over it.” Ari nudges Felicity, “now I bet you are glad dad insisted on those motorcycle lessons.”

Felicity playfully grumbles, “the jury’s still you on that one.” The whole family chuckles.

Ari excuses herself from the family reunion to check on her other team members. All of which are okay. No injuries other than some rope burn. She then drives the bike back to the bunker to grab the van. She transports the entirety of Team Arrow safely back to the bunker.

Once back, they all stay and have a small celebration in honor of Ari for succeeding in her first solo mission and saving them all from certain death. Throughout the duration of the party, she can’t help but notice a pair of eyes watching her more closely than usual. Every time she catches the culprit, she is met with an embarrassed grin and a small laugh. As the celebration comes to a close, the owner of the peering eyes finally approaches Ari. When JJ finally stands in front of her, she is met with a look in his eyes she’s never seen before. It’s one of pride but also hunger. No, not hunger, something else. She swears she’s hallucinating, but there’s only on word for the look on his face; desire.

“We make a good team you and me. You were amazing out there today,” he compliments.

She attempts to hide her confusion, “yeah we do and thanks.”

JJ jumps right in before he loses courage, “I know this is abrupt and you're probably going to wonder where all this is coming from, but I have to be honest with you. Sometimes I still see you as a kid you know? The little girl I used to love picking on all the time when we were young. But today, something happened. My eyes were opened and I’m seeing you now in a completely different light. I’m finally seeing you for what you truly are. A fierce, strong, tough, brave and…” he clears his throat and suddenly seems shy “beautiful woman. I just want to say thank you for saving all of us and for becoming an amazing leader all of us are proud to be following. So, in light of this newfound revelation of mine, I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me?”

“Wait, are you being serious?” Ari asks incredulously. She’s only been waiting for this forever but she never thought it would actually happen.

“um yes…” JJ hesitates at first but quickly gains confidence, “I know it may be weird at first but I think maybe you and me… I think we could be great together. What do you say?”

She puts her hand to her chin in fake contemplation before grinning, “hmmm… I’d have to say yes.”

They hug each other tightly before Ari catches all four of their parents staring at them.

She points over to them, “you get to be the one to tell them though.” She smirks as she walks away and leaves a suddenly terrified JJ behind her. Her laughter echoes through the bunker as she rejoins the rest of the party.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update. Life has been a little crazy for me as of late. This chapter is another one that is set up differently. This chapter goes a lot more in depth on the story of Ari and JJ's relationship starting from when they were kids and working its way through their lives. I decided to include the epilogue in this chapter istead of the final one because I feel like it flowed better with the story. I hope you enjoy!

The straps of his car seat felt so restraining to JJ. Especially today when he was nearly bursting from excitement. He glanced over at his twin sister and was glad to see her excitement nearly matched his own. It was a big day in the Diggle household, but an even bigger day for the Smoak-Queens. It finally happened. JJ’s Aunt Felicity had her baby. Today was the day JJ finally got to meet her for the first time. Though his four-year-old brain could not totally grasp what was about to happen, he was still over the moon. With each passing traffic light and twist and turn, he became more impatient and less able to sit still. He tried his best to stay stagnant but by the time they arrived at the hospital, he was swinging his legs and fidgeting like a madman.  
Once they came to a complete stop, his father unhooked his own seatbelt then got out of the car and help his son with his. He scooped his son up and they waited for Lyla to do the same with Sara. John and Lyla walked hand in hand through the hospital with their kids in tow. They only released when they arrived at the hospital room. They sat their kids down and simultaneously crouched down in front of them.  
"Now kids remember what I said at home? This baby is brand new. You have to be very, very gentle with her. She breaks very easily" Lyla warned gently "do you understand?"  
"Yes mama," they both agreed.  
Lyla stood up and opened the door to the generic hospital room. The room had one large window, a couch, recliner, and a bed. Felicity sat on the bed with the small bundle wrapped in a purple blanket. Oliver stood above them grinning ear to ear. They were both so lost in marveling at the child, they barely noticed the Diggles’ entrance.  
"Is that her?" Sara enthusiastically asked pulling them from their trance.  
"It sure is" Felicity answered, "would you guys like to meet her?"  
All of them nodded in answer. Lyla stepped forward first. Felicity placed Ari gently in her arms. Lyla’s eyes filled with tears, "she's gorgeous you guys. Congratulations."  
John and Sara both took a turn holding the baby next. Then when Sara was finished, Lyla picked JJ up and set him on the couch. She showed him just how to hold his arms and then placed her in them. Instantly JJ’s heart felt so warm it radiated throughout his whole body. Without even thinking, he leaned in closer to her and laid a kiss on her head. He ignored the ah’s and oh’s from his family. He just wanted to be closer to the warmth. For a brief second, he was practically enveloped in it.  
"Pretty," he said as he took his eyes off her for one second to gleam at his family. He couldn't turn away long though. He didn't want to waste a second with the baby. As he stared down at her, he tried to understand what was so different about this particular baby. He had held plenty of other babies before her, but none made him feel this way. None made him feel so warm. None made him feel so happy. None made him feel like he never wanted to let go until her.  
Soon, all too soon Felicity came and took her from his arms. He had to fight the urge to hold on tight and not give her back. When the baby was gone from his arms, he felt empty and cold. It was so strange and confusing to him he began to cry. The adults all flocked around him.  
“What's wrong?” his mom asked.  
“Are you okay?” his dad continued.  
“Did the baby scare you?” Felicity gently questioned.  
He cried for a little while longer. He didn't understand what was happening. His mom scooped him up into her lap and finally he cried, "I just want to hold her again."  
The adults all chuckled for a moment before felicity assured him, "you will have plenty of time to hold her honey but right now she needs to eat and the doctor will be in soon to check on her."  
JJ was comforted by this enough that his tears subsided. He would hold her again. Today was only the first day of many that she would be with him. That was the only reason he was able to let her go for now.

>>\------->

  
The sun was just about to touch the horizon. The sky was filled with magnificent shades of pink and orange. Its beauty just barely took away from the fact that another summer day was coming to an end. The sunset signaled JJ that it was time to get Ari home.  
"Ari!" JJ called up to her, "it’s time."  
Eight-year-old Ari peaked out of the window of their treehouse, "it can't be" she argued, "we just got here."  
"Don't even try that on me. Your dad just started to trust me enough to let us stay out later and I'm not about to test that. I value my life too much."  
"Oh whatever, he might seem scary but he loves you and would never harm a hair on your head,” she rebutted.  
"Even so I don't want to risk it. Come on!" he urged.  
Ari let out a long sigh, but gave in. She took the stairs two at a time then walked a few feet to pick up her bike. JJ followed closely behind.  
"Race you!" she challenged as she mounted. She took off before JJ even had his bike upright.  
"Hey! That's cheating!" he called after her. Her only response was a cackle.  
He didn't even have to think about where he was going. The path home was well worn from the hundreds of times they had made this journey. It didn’t take him long to catch up with her. Afterall, his legs were much longer and his bike was much bigger than hers. He threw is head back slightly and breathed in the warm summer breeze. He was happy, so happy in this moment. Riding bikes with his very best friend. Feeling the speed, warmth of the night, and love of his friend. What could be better? He closed his eyes for one split second. That’s all it took for everything to change. He heard a loud bang followed by other crashing sounds then an agonized cry. His eyes flew opened. His happiness quickly deteriorated into dread and panic as he saw her crumpled on the ground gripping her leg and thrashing in pain.   
“Ari!” he yelled as he dismounted and threw is bike to the side. He ran to her as quickly as his legs could carry him. It wasn’t fast enough. He threw himself on the ground and evaluated her condition. Instantly he could tell her leg was severely injured. Panic like never before surged through him. He had never felt this awful in his entire life. All he wanted to do was take the pain from her.  
“My leg! It really, really hurts,” Ari cried. The pain tangible in her voice. He scrambled for the phone in his pocket to call for help forgetting that it had died fifteen minutes prior. He searched quickly for Ari’s phone. He groaned when he found it only to discover it was shattered. JJ didn’t think, he just picked her up and carried her. It was probably about half a mile. Under normal circumstances he didn’t think he would have the strength to carry her so far but this was different. He had so much adrenaline, so many emotions coursing through his body, he didn’t even feel the weight of her body.   
The walk back was the longest moments of his life. Not because of the physical effort it took, but because of the emotional trauma. The amount of panic and worry he was feeling was making him feel physically sick. It didn’t help matters that he had to hear her cry with every step he took. He tried his best to walk smoothly as to not jostle her but also quickly to not waste precious time getting her the help she needed. He knew he was failing at both.   
About a block from her house, she fainted from the pain. For a split second he thought the absence of her cries would help slow the agony he was feeling. He was wrong. The thoughts running through his head were a million times worse. What if she died? What if she is permanently injured? What if she can never walk again? You broke her! This is all your fault! She’ll never forgive you! She’ll never talk to you again! His thoughts yelled louder than any scream could.   
He arrived on their front porch screaming for Oliver and Felicity. Thankfully they heard him and rushed out. When the saw the state of their daughter the sprinted toward them.   
“What happened?” Oliver demanded.  
Through tear-filled eyes JJ explained, “We were riding our bikes home. I made sure we left plenty early so we wouldn’t be late. I closed my eyes for one second. That’s when I heard the crash and the cries. My phone died and hers got broken. I had to carry her. I had no choice. Her leg. I think it’s broken. Every time I moved it only made her pain worse. I couldn’t just leave her there. I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do.”  
Felicity reached for his shoulder and reassured him, “it’s okay. You did good. You brought her back to us and protected her. That’s all we could hope for.”  
Oliver reached for his daughter, “we can take her from here.”  
As Oliver gently loaded her in the car, Felicity turned to JJ and asked, “Can you make it home okay?”  
All JJ could do was nod.  
Oliver added before speeding away, “we’ll call your parents later to let you know how it turns out.”  
Now all that was left was silence. JJ felt so empty, hollow, broken and lost without her in his arms, he dropped to his knees. For the first time in his life he cried until there were no more tears left for him to shed. Then he picked himself up and began the long, miserable walk home. Eager, but also dreading the news of Ari’s condition. 

>>\------->

  
The smell of freshly cut grass and the sounds of laughter coming from the children playing at the park distracted Ari from the dread of the task at hand today. Today was the day she had to say goodbye to two of her best friends. They were heading off to college while she was still stuck with two, maybe one if she was lucky, more years of high school. Sometimes she really hated their age gap. This would be the last time she would see them for quite some time. Ari didn’t even remember whose idea it was to say their farewells here at this park but it was fitting to say goodbye to them at the place of all their favorite childhood memories.   
They arrived in two separate cars since they were departing from here. They had already said goodbye to all their loved ones. Ari was their last stop. As they walked toward her, a bittersweet feeling washed over her. Memories of their lives together flashed quickly through her mind. She couldn’t believe this was it.   
“Hi guys,” she greeted them as they approached. Her voice cracked just slightly. She promised herself she wouldn’t cry but she knew she would be breaking it. She and Sara said their goodbyes first. Over the years they remained great friends. They didn’t let the few year’s age difference keep them apart. They briefly reminisced on old times before hugging for an eternity. Neither wanted to let go. Sara eventually let go first so she could say goodbye to her brother. Sara left first knowing Ari and JJ needed a little extra time alone. She had always been able to see what those two couldn’t, they were meant for each other.  
Ari and JJ’s relationship these past few years was different than hers and Sara’s. They had drifted apart somewhat. She could never understand why the age gap seemed to affect them more. She also had her suspicions that he was pushing her away for some unknown reason. Though she didn’t like to think about it and usually ignored it. They were still great friends despite this. Unfortunately, in that time of slight separation, her crush on him had only grown exponentially. With each passing year, she felt more and more hopeless that he would ever see her the same way.  
The stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments. Trying to say without words how much they would miss each other, how much they cared about one another.   
JJ broke the silence first, “I’m really going to miss you. I don’t know what I’m going to do without having someone to give a bad time to. Or having someone to go on random adventures like we always do.”  
Ari chuckled through the tears glistening in your eyes, “Oh you’ll do just fine. I bet you won’t even miss me very much once you make all your new college friends. You’ll be like Ari who? I don’t even know her.”  
He rolled his eyes and smiled “that’s pretty doubtful” he become suddenly serious, “you’re hard to forget Arianna Smoak-Queen.” Much to her surprise and even his own, and before he could stop himself instinctively he leaned in and kissed her. Then something very unexpected happened for both of them, sparks flew. This was Ari’s first kiss. She didn’t know this feeling wasn’t a typical occurrence. JJ on the other hand, had never felt like this with any other girl. He narrowed his eyes just slightly in confusion at this then turned, mumbled goodbye, and walked away very quickly before he could do something dumb like kiss her again.   
“What was that?” she asked herself aloud in utter confusion. About a million and one thoughts raced through her head. She sat there stunned until JJ’s car had faded from view. It took her a few minutes to gather her composure enough to drive home.   
On the drive she tried to process her thoughts but failed. Part of her was overjoyed. She just had her very first kiss with the one person she always hoped but never believed it could ever happen with. Even though it was quite the surprise, it was everything she hoped it would me. There was another part of her, the bigger part, filled with only negative thoughts. Feelings of dread, of loss, and even of hurt. Did he really just kiss me and then leave for who knows how long? Confusion was in the forefront of her emotions too. She felt like a piece of her was being ripped away. It was utterly perplexing. As she drove home, she was having a hard time seeing through the tears forming in her eyes. It was all too much.   
By the time she arrived home and had a little time to process everything, she came to one conclusion. He’s the one. One kiss was all it took for her to know. To be honest, she thought she always knew but she tried to deny it. There was no denying it anymore. He was the one for her and now he was gone.  
She rushed to the piano. It’s the one place that always helped her sort through her emotions when nothing else seemed to work. She began playing the first song that popped into her head; Come Around by Rosi Golan. At first, she had no idea how much every word fit her current situation. Once she realized, she sang every word with her whole heart. Sometime in the middle of the song, Felicity came to sit in the bench sensing her daughter’s distress. By the time Ari played the final notes of the song, she was crying. She rested her head on her mother’s shoulder and cried for what seemed like ages.   
When the crying seemed to die down Felicity gently asked, “what is it baby, what’s wrong.”  
Ari lifted her head and looked at her mother, her eyes so red, “he’s the one mom. I just realized it today. He kissed me as he left and in that moment I knew. And now he’s gone” she continued crying, “what am I going to do?”  
Felicity engulfed her daughter in the biggest hug, “oh baby it’s all going to be alright.”  
“How?” she whined, “how will it be alright? He’s gone mom and he’s not coming back for a long time. Plus, he’ll never see me the way I see him.”  
“I once thought that way about your father” she offered, “so don’t be so sure. And about him being gone, he’ll be back eventually. Star City is his home. Same as you. If you really believe he is the one, then you have to believe that somehow and someway he will come back to you.”  
“He’s the one mom” Ari stated with certainty, “I know I’m young and I have no experience with this sort of thing, but there’s some things you just know. I know it in my bones.”  
“Then I have complete and utter faith that someday everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. You will be together someday,” Felicity said with absolute certainty.  
“How can you be so sure?”  
“Because I know you,” Felicity answered, “When you want something like this, you will stop at nothing to get it. You get that from both of your parents. One thing I’ve learned from loving your father is that love always finds a way somehow. Just keep your head up and know that everything will fall into place someday.”  
“Someday…” Ari pondered while placing her head back on her mother’s shoulder, “I can do that. I can hold out for someday.” Ari leaned against her mother for support while visions on someday swirled through her head.

>>\--------->

  
JJ and Ari arrive at the last stop on their first date; the bunker. It doesn’t seem like the most romantic of locations, but it is to Ari. So far, the date has been like something from a fairy tale. They began with dinner at Ari’s favorite restaurant, had ice cream at her favorite ice cream parlor for dessert, and walked through the park where they had their first kiss several years earlier. They talked about anything and everything. Conversation still flows so naturally between the two of them. She’s glad that hasn’t changed.   
“I’m glad you suggested ending the date here,” Ari comments.  
“Nothing like a good round of sparring to end the night,” JJ jokes.  
“You know other couples would look at us and think we’re absolutely crazy,” Ari says, “but I think it’s perfect.”  
“I agree.”  
They take a moment to change out of their fancy date clothes into workout attire. Ari finishes first so she leans on the railings of the sparring arena.   
When JJ makes his appearance Ari comments, “I know this sounds so weird, but this bunker is my favorite place in the whole world. It's the one place I have always been able to be myself here without fear without worry. I've learned so many things archery, fighting, how to control my powers. Any time I had a problem, I could come here and somehow and someway I was able to work through them here.”  
“Do you have a problem now?” JJ questions.  
“No, not a problem,” Ari clarifies, “more like a question.”  
“What kind of a question? You know you can ask me anything.”  
Ari hesitates for a brief moment, “what made you change your mind and finally decide to ask me out?”  
“You did,” he says as he approaches her.  
“Me? What did I do?”  
JJ’s eyes beam, “just seeing you leading the team. You're so in your element, so in control, so strong. I just finally realized you aren't a kid anymore. You're a beautiful, strong, capable woman with equal amounts of fire and compassion. Its irresistible.”  
She scoffs at that, “yeah right.”  
“I'm telling you the truth,” he states, his intensity growing. “I want to tell you something and if I tell you this one thing, you have to promise me you won't freak out and run away.”  
Ari's stomach twists in knots she swallows and tries her best to sound normal when saying, "Okay...?"  
“Because this is only our first date and people typically don't say stuff like this on the first date. But you... you aren't like other people. And this... is something I've been holding onto for a very long time. So even though I may scare you away, or worse I may lose you forever, today I realized I can’t hold onto it anymore. Holding onto this feels like a complete and utter lie to you and I can't do that. I won't do that.”  
She feels the slightest edge of impatience she urges him on, "please just say it."  
“Remember when you we were younger? You were eight and I was twelve. You fell off your bike and broke your leg. I picked you up and carried you home.”  
“Of course, I could never forget that. I felt so safe in your arms I almost forgot I was even hurt in the first place,” she tells him.  
“Well I remember that day for an entirely different reason. That was the day I shut you out. See when you fell and got hurt I remember feeling hurt too, like seeing that made me physically sick," he clarifies, "I remember thinking to myself what would happen if she really did get hurt? what would happen if I lost her? The pain was so severe it took my breath away. I couldn't imagine it. I thought I couldn't possibly handle that pain, so I tried to shut you out to save myself. I blamed it on the age difference and tried my best to avoid you and it worked for quite a few years. Not always, of course, you were still my best friend and I gravitated toward you without thinking. But it wasn't until recently I realized how miserable I've been without you. It's like I'm a shell of who I used to be. Once I moved back and have been around you so much, I finally feel like I'm me again.”  
“I'm glad you feel that way but...”  
"Will you please stop interrupting me?” he asked as politely as possible, “I know this is long winded but I'm almost to my point. When my parents took me to the hospital the day you were born all those years ago and your mom placed you in my arms I knew. I just knew. And then I spent the next twenty some years trying to deny it."  
“What did you know?” Ari asks in a whisper. Finally understanding where this was going.  
“That I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you,” he confesses then grabs her face and kisses her. Softly at first then growing hungrier by the second. As abruptly as he began, he pulls away from her with the biggest smile on his face she has ever seen. Her returning smile is just as brilliant though she is dizzy from the turn of events.  
JJ continues, “somehow I can see our future together and its bright and perfect and it's you and me. It's always been you. It will always be you. I'm sorry I let something as silly as age and my fears get in between us.”  
“Hmmm I think maybe forgiving you could be arranged but you just might have to spend the rest of your life earning it,” she teases as she leans in for one more kiss.  
“I think I can manage that,” he says with a huge grin before kissing her passionately.  
JJ was right those words would send most girls running for the hills, especially this early. But he's also right about the fact that she is not most girls. Somehow those words have the opposite effect. To Ari, those words feel anything but rushed. To Ari, those words only draw her in closer. Afterall, they are the words she has been waiting her whole life to hear.

>>\-------->

Epilogue

  
Eight thousand six hundred thirty nine. That's the number of lives Ari has saved to this day. Why she's thinking about numbers on such an important day, Ari has no idea. It must be the genius portion of her brain working in overdrive to compensate for all of the stress and emotions of the day. It has been exactly three years and four days since her and JJ's first date. Today is quite possibly the biggest day of her life, her wedding day.  
The day goes by without a hitch. Oliver cries as he walks her down the aisle and gives her away, the vows are perfect, the decorations are almost as gorgeous as the bride. Every single loved one is in attendance. There are no fights or fiascos. Only love, happiness, and a good time. The reception begins with a special surprise for the audience. Ari concocted this plan earlier in the year but it took sometime to convince her family, especially the men, to do it. She only had to beg for several days before they agreed. She enrolled herself, JJ, Lyla, John, Oliver and Felicity into a special dance class to learn the choreography and lyrics. The six of them perform a choreographed dance including singing to the song I Was Made For Loving You by Tori Kelly and Ed Sheran. The girls singing Tori’s part and the guys singing Ed’s of course. It is pretty funny but a spectacular sight for all the guests seeing three grown men tough enough to take down any opponent in the blink of an eye singing and dancing. Especially when taken into account their secret identities as The Green Arrow, Spartan, and The Crimson Warrior.   
The reception continues on smoothly until finally reaching Ari’s favorite part of the night, the first dance. As she dances with her husband, she can’t stop the huge smile on her face. She is in such disbelief. How could she be so lucky to be with him for the rest of her life? How could she possibly love someone this much without bursting? She doesn’t know the answers to her questions but she does know one thing. From now on, he will always be at her side. Her second in command, her partner in crime, the love of her life. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is guys the final chapter! I know this is a short one, but I feel like it ended the way it should. I want to thank you all for being patient and sticking with me through my first fanfic adventure. I had a blast and I hope you did too! I am definitely glad I took a leap of faith and decided to post it for the world to see.

Another day, another mission. Arianna has been leading the team for about a month now with her father. She’s having a blast doing so. She practically skips down the steps of the bunker as she prepares a strategy to take down the next opponent. When she arrives at the computers, she abruptly skids to a stop. Something is different. Something feels off. She searches the room to locate the change. It only takes her a fraction of a second to notice her parents in their civilian clothes instead of their typical hero outfits.

“What’s going on?” Ari asks, “don’t we have a bad guy to catch?”

“Yeah _you_ do” Oliver answers emphasizing the you.

“Me? What about you?”

Felicity changes the subject, “we have a present for you.”

Oliver and Felicity part from each other to reveal a box with a green bow attached to it. Though Ari is confused, she opens the box immediately. Once she discovers its contents, her eyes snap up to her parents.

“You’re giving me your bow and arrows?” she asks astonished.

“With some modifications courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Overwatch.” Felicity chimes in.

Ari objects, “no guys, I couldn’t possibly…”

Oliver stops her, “yes you can, you’ve earned it.”

“But they’re yours Dad. I could never…”

He says simply, but firmly, “it’s time Arianna.”

“Time?” Ari questions still not processing what is happening, “time for what?”

Felicity answers as she slides her hand into Oliver’s and rests her chin on his shoulder, “time for us to pass the mantle on to you.”

Arianna argues, “no it can’t be. I’m not ready.”

“You are ready,” Oliver assures her.

“It’s your time” Felicity adds, “and it’s wrong of us to keep you from what you were destined to do.”

Oliver reminisces, “I vividly remember the day you told you were going to do the whether we liked it or not. You said you were born for this. That this was your calling. You were right. I’ve never seen anyone more meant for this than you.”

“It’s your time. Go and change the world. Be better. Better than even we were” Felicity advises, “better than any other hero that has ever existed.”

“That’s a lot to ask for,” Ari says breathlessly.

“We know,” Felicity agrees, “and we wouldn’t have suggested it if we didn’t believe that you could do it.”

“This is your calling and you will not fail this city or this world,” Oliver says positively.

“And never forget we will always be here if you need us” Felicity reassures her, “We are so very proud of you. You are everything we could have ever wanted for a daughter and so much more.”

“This is the last time I will ever say these words and I’m so glad I’m saying them to you. Suit up” Oliver commands. He places a kiss on her forehead. Felicity follows giving her daughter a big tearful hug as she passes. They leave the bunker for the final time as The Green Arrow and Overwatch hand in hand but not before turning on their comms to be able to hear their daughter’s first official fight as the new leader of Team Arrow.

It takes a moment for Arianna to compose herself before she can prepare what is now her team. She has a new sense of drive, fire, and purpose. She will be what her parents know she is capable of. She will carry this team with everything she has. She knows with absolute certainty will not fail her parents, her fellow heroes that have come before her, her city, or her world.

At the sight of her first mission, she takes the lead. She tells her fellow members to hide in surrounding buildings. The reveals herself to the enemy by shooting off a warning arrow. To her surprise, the arrow lights up and is surrounded by electricity. Much like how she herself looks when using her powers. It is a truly magnificent sight. She silently thanks her mother.

The villain looks up to see Ari’s shadow about ten feet above him hiding on a ledge. “Hey you with the arrows and that crazy electric power that I’ve heard so much about. What are you called The Electric Arrow or something?” he scoffs before challenging, “wanna fight?”

“Electric Arrow huh? I like that” Ari comments as she jumps off the ledge and lands in a threatening crouch. With a sly grin she adds, “yeah actually, I think I do.” And so began The Electric Arrow’s first victory of thousands upon thousands to come.


End file.
